Something Buried Deep Inside, Part 1
by OreganoTypeOmega
Summary: He waited until he saw it again: A pair of wide, dark brown eyes was staring at him from behind the bed. As far as Levi could tell they belonged to a little girl who carefully peeked out from her cover. - When Levi moves out to the destroyed Trost district to look for survivors he didn't expect to find something there that would change his life forever... Levi x Levy
1. Chapter 1: Guardian

**Something Buried Deep Inside, Part 1**

**_A/N: Just a cute little idea that came to my mind... I wondered what could happen when you pair up Levi with a little girl :3 I hope you like it!_  
**

**Chapter 1: Guardian**

Levi's mood had just dropped onto a dangerously low level. "A recovery mission?" His sharp, intimidating grey eyes stared daggers at the person in front of him.

"Yes," Erwin replied flatly.

Levi's gaze narrowed at his superior. "What for?"

"You heard me, Levi."

"What for? Trost is almost completely destroyed and the Titans left..." Levi began, but he was interrupted by Erwin.

"Which gives us the possibility to look for survivors since Trost is only _half _destroyed – maybe there are still people out there, waiting for someone to come to their aid."

"Tch..." Levi snorted dismissively. "And since when are _you_ so compassionate?"

Erwin did not reply to that. "Move out. Now!" he ordered while walking away.

"Tch..." He turned toward his squad. "We're moving out!"

"Captain Levi, sir!"

Levi turned around to face the person running toward him.

It was Eren. He came closer and gave him a salute. "I'm ready, sir!" he shouted.

"Ready for what?"

"For the mission, sir!"

Levi's eyes lit up. Eren truly had spirit. He was always eager and ready to fight – but this mission was too dangerous to have him or the other brats with him. "Not today."

He watched Eren's face fall. "What?"

"You heard me. Not today. Go get some rest. This mission is too dangerous," Levi replied flatly, mounting his horse. "Besides, we won't get to kill any Titans, anyway – this is a recovery mission."

"But..."

"Tch, no 'buts'. Dismissed, Jaeger." Levi rode off without any further explanation, leaving a bewildered boy standing alone in the dust caused by the horses thundering hooves.

He almost felt bad for the boy, but Erwin's orders had been clear – and Levi cared for his soldiers. For all of them. For this mission a rather big squad was needed, but having too many people on this mission would minimize the chance of bringing everyone back home and increase the number of possible victims – so he would leave the brats at home. It was better that way.

* * *

Trost was, like expected, a giant mess. Half of the district was completely destroyed, collapsed buildings as far as the eye could see and a few dead bodies – bodies of people who had been crushed under the weight of their houses' collapsing rooftops or the Titans' massive feet. Levi knelt down beside the body of a young man clutching to a piece of cloth he recognized as a cape of the Survey Corps. He gently wiped over the man's face to close his fearfully widened eyes before he spread the cape over his body in order to cover it.

"You may rest in peace now. It's over," Levi mumbled, shortly closing his eyes in a silent prayer. He stood up. "Alright. Let's get this over with quickly before the Titans show up again. We split up."

"Yes, sir!"

Levi watched as his unit spread out, some were flinging themselves onto the rooftops to maneuver more quickly, others stayed on the ground like himself. He prepared to look through the houses in the street to his right.

"You're going by yourself, Levi?" Hanji asked almost worriedly.

Levi nodded. "I'll be fine. But stay close to me, just in case."

"Got it," Hanji replied.

He walked through the row of houses; some were collapsed, some on the brink of it, so it was too dangerous to go inside on his own. He looked inside every building that seemed half-way safe – but all he found were a few dead bodies and large trails of blood.

_Tch, I knew this would be no good_, Levi cursed in his thoughts.

However, his head snapped up when he suddenly heard something. He halted in his movements and listened. It was quiet at first, but then he heard the strange sound again. He waited a while until he heard it once more – it came from one of the houses to his left. He slowly and carefully walked into the direction of the sound and heard it again, this time louder. It took him a while to realize that these sounds were sobs.

He was near the source of the sound. Carefully, he stepped inside the half-collapsed house on his left.

"Be careful, Levi," Hanji called from the roof of the house across from him.

Right on cue, he heard the ceiling groan above his head. He immediately jumped aside, pressing himself against the wall – just in time. With a loud crack, the rooftop came crashing down, burying one half of the former dining room under it.

"LEVI!" Hanji screamed. "Are you okay?!"

"Captain Levi, sir!"

He coughed a few times to get the dust out of his lungs. "I'm okay!" he called back. _Shit... That was close..._ He hoped that whoever had been crying was okay. His question seemed answered when he heard the soft sobbing once again. "Hello? Anyone there?" he called, but the sound suddenly stopped. "It's okay. You can come out."

He was greeted with silence.

Levi knew that the person would be extremely frightened, so he had to be patient, careful and gentle. "You can come out. It's okay now – you're safe."

He carefully made his way through the destroyed house, carefully checking every room that was safe enough to enter until he reached a small hallway. He discovered a half-opened door and two doors left and right from it – but a toppled roof beam was in his way. _Shit, this won't be easy..._ The whole house could collapse any minute.

"Hello?" he called again, but he received no answer. He would have to climb underneath the beam. "Tch, typical..." he cursed, slowly, very slowly, taking one careful step after another, hoping that the roof wouldn't come down – and it didn't. Breathing out a relieved sigh, he looked around.

There it was again, the soft sobbing sound. It was indeed coming from the half opened door in front of him. He opened it and carefully slipped through. The room behind it was almost completely collapsed, wooden planks were hanging from the ceiling. He blinked a few times. Toys were scattered on the floor and a whole bunch of stuffed animals was lying on the bed standing in the far left corner. _Please, no..._, he begged internally. This was a child's room.

Levi listened, but he was greeted with silence. He guided his eyes across the room again, coming to a sudden stop when he noticed something move behind the bed. He waited until he saw it again. A pair of wide, dark brown eyes was staring at him from behind the bed. As far as he could tell they belonged to a little girl who carefully peeked out from her cover.

_A little brat... This is just great_, he cursed. He didn't like children too much, but there was no way he would leave that girl behind. However, he knew it would be difficult to convince the frightened girl to trust him. He slowly moved around the room to get a better look on her.

She was at the age of maybe five, with long dark brown hair, big, dark eyes and pale brown skin. She was wearing a pale, plain golden-yellowish dress, reaching down to her calves; its hems and neckline were colored in a darker shade and she was wearing simple black pumps. She was staring back at him with frightened, yet strangely empty eyes. Levi noticed she had something in her arms. He froze.

She was clutching to a severed arm.

Levi understood. _Poor little thing_, he thought, giving her a quite compassionate look. It was a miracle that she had survived seemingly without a single scratch. He clenched his fist. Adults maybe were able to handle the sight of someone getting eaten before their very eyes – _after some time_... But a child would be traumatized for the rest of its life. One look at Eren Jaeger who had watched his mother getting eaten proved this theory.

Levi finally snapped out of his thoughts and took a step forward, careful not to scare the girl. "You can come out. I'm here to help you." He watched as the girl shuffled away from him and ducked her head, trying to make herself as small as possible. "It's okay. You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you," he said gently.

"Captain Levi!" a member of his unit called from outside.

"What?" he called back.

"Titans, sir! On our six! Approaching fast!"

"Shit..." he cursed under his breath. He slowly walked toward the girl, squatting down beside her and watching as she backed away against the wall behind her. "You have to trust me now. I will get you out of here." He carefully reached out for her, but she flinched, causing him to withdraw his hand. He was getting impatient. "Listen, I'm only trying to help you."

The girl suddenly jumped up and quickly climbed over the bed. She was fast. Levi didn't even have time to grab her by her dress.

"HEY! Come back here!" he yelled angrily. "Tch... That brat..." He watched as the girl quickly ran out of the room. It wasn't easy for him to catch up with that fast little being and the roof beams were hindering him. His eyes widened in horror as he heard the loud thuds caused by the approaching Titans – they were already here.

He saw the girl running through a backdoor – it was leading outside, toward the Titans. "No, wait! DON'T GO OUTSIDE!" For the first time in his life, he experienced the _true_ feeling of horror. He had already failed to save some of his soldiers in the past – this time, he would not let that happen. He quickly ran after the girl – just in time.

She had tripped and was now sitting in front of a 10-meter-class Titan. Levi wasn't sure whether it was an Aberrant or not, but nonetheless, he would have to act swiftly – another Titan was closing in.

He readied his blades and swung himself toward the first Titan at incredibly fast speed, twirling his body around and slicing the Titan's neck in one quick, fluent movement. He was ready to swing himself toward the other one when he saw it leaping forward. Swiftly, he fired the grappling hooks at the building on his side to evade the Titan which had just landed, barely missing him. It was now crouching on all fours.

_It's an Aberrant... Shit!_, he cursed in his thoughts, guiding his eyes around to watch his comrades killing the approaching Titans to keep them away from him and the girl.

He paused when he noticed that the crouching Titan was staring at something. His eyes widened as it lept forward and grabbed the girl, bringing her close to its face. It opened its mouth, ready to devour her. Levi growled angrily, firing a hook at the Titan, but said being quickly turned around and grabbed the line, firmly holding him in place. His eyes widened even more as he realized the situation he was in. He couldn't pull the hook in anymore and the Titan would surely crush him if he didn't think of anything.

He was cut off his thoughts when he caught the look in the little girl's eyes. She was still trapped in the Titan's hand, but she had managed to get her arms free. She was staring at him with fearful eyes, yet a spark of determination was lighting up in them. He saw her pull something out... and drive it into the Titan's eye with all of her strength. The eye. The only spot where the Titans could feel pain.

The Titan howled and immediately let go of Levi's grappling line. Levi took advantage of the moment and fired his second hook at the building directly behind the Titan, using a strong burst of gas to shoot past it, slicing its neck. It fell down with a loud thud, causing the ground to shake. He sighed in relief when he saw the girl trying to free herself of the dead Titan's hand. He landed on the ground softly and ran toward her. He wrapped his strong arm around her, gently scooping her up before he got to higher ground again.

The young girl suddenly started whimpering and forcefully tried to squirm herself out of Levi's grip.

"Oi, easy, you brat. I just saved you," he griped, tightening his grip only for her to squirm even more. He paused when he noticed the girl's eyes were squeezed shut and she was shaking her head vigorously. His eyes widened in realization: She thought she was still in the Titan's grasp. "No, no, no, it's okay! Calm down, it's me! Shhh, calm down," Levi muttered softly. "Shhh... I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay. You're safe. You're safe now. It's over."

The girl stopped squirming, but she still refused to open her eyes.

"Look at me." Levi gently cupped her small face one of his hands, forcing her to finally open her beautiful brown eyes to look at him. "It's okay. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

The girl started weeping, tears welling up in her eyes. Levi wrapped his arms around her small body and gently pulled her closer to him. He felt her nestling closer to him, burying her face in his chest. He didn't like children too much – but the sight of a crying little girl was too much to bear even for his harsh, yet still incredibly gentle heart.

After a while she became quiet. He looked down at her figure. She had fallen asleep. Of course. Too much exhaustion for a little girl. He watched his unit gather beneath him and quickly scooped up the girl, careful to not wake her up before he met up with his comrades and a rather shocked Hanji.

"Captain Levi, sir!"

"Are you okay, Levi?" Hanji asked worriedly.

Levi put his free hand on the brunette's shoulder to give it a comforting squeeze. He turned to face the other soldiers. "How many soldiers did we loose?" he asked.

"None, sir," the man in charge replied with a faint smile, causing Levi to nod in approval, sighing in relief. "It seems our distraction worked pretty well."

"Good. Any survivors?"

"No, sir. We couldn't find anyone."

Levi glanced down at the diminutive girl now sleeping soundly in his arms – who had actually saved his life minutes ago. She had her arms wrapped around his neck. "Looks like we just came back for this little brat then," he said bluntly.

Hanji quickly took a step forward, her eyes glistening with excitement. "A little survivor? She must have seen everything then! Let me know when she wakes up, I need to know ev–" She was cut off by Levi angrily grabbing the collar of her shirt.

"Oi, shit-glasses. This little girl went through enough and you will not pump her for any details. You will leave her alone, understood?" he growled.

Hanji gave him a disappointed look and mumbled something under her breath, but he let go of her anyway.

"Let's return to Kanares. We're moving out!" he shouted.

Once the reached the base's stables, he climbed his horse, careful to not drop the little girl – she was still sleeping. It wasn't as simple as he had only one free hand. He placed her in front of him in the saddle, between his arms so that they supported her and he had his hands free to hold the reins. He pressed her closer to him so she wouldn't fall off or slip through under his arms during the ride. He took one last glance at her sleeping figure before he spurred his horse.

Back in Kanares, he already found Eren waiting. Said boy quickly saluted his superior. "Welcome back, Captain Levi!" he shouted.

"Tch, such a noisy brat," he mumbled, but it wasn't quiet enough.

Eren made a sad face and shot him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, sir..."

Levi's gaze softened. "You don't have to always get so formal when I'm near. It's annoying. That's all." He watched the brunet's face brighten up again. "Eren. Come closer."

The smile in Eren's face quickly disappeared and his eyes widened in shock. "Did I do something wrong, sir?" he asked worriedly.

"No. Just come closer. I need your help with something," Levi answered bluntly.

Eren gave him a puzzled look, but he obeyed. Levi carefully lifted the girl who was still sleeping soundly off the horse and held her out to Eren. The latter cast him another puzzled look.

"Take her, so I can get off the horse. But be careful – don't wake her up," Levi ordered.

"Yes... Is she the only survivor?" The expression on Eren's face suddenly looked so sad – he understood what the girl had gone through.

Levi nodded. He watched as Eren carefully scooped the girl up – as if he had done something like that before. It almost looked adorable. A small smile tugged at Levi's lips, but it was gone before Eren could see it. He finally climbed off the horse.

"What will happen to her now?" Eren asked.

"She will stay with us for a while until we found a foster family for her. It's the only thing we can do," Levi replied, taking the girl out of Eren's arms.

* * *

"WHAT?!" was the only thing Levi managed to say.

"You heard me, Levi," Erwin answered bluntly.

"Does this mean _I_ have to take care of that little brat?!" Now he was actually pissed.

It had been a few hours since the recovery mission had been completed – and ever since then the girl had stuck with him. Everywhere he went she would follow him, even though she hid every time he noticed her, as if she was scared – but nonetheless, she followed him. Probably because he was the only one she knew.

Erwin didn't answer, but Hanji did – much to his annoyance. "Now, now, shorty, be nice," she spoke, causing Levi to shoot her a death glare.

"Who are you calling 'shorty', shit-glasses?!" he growled. Normally, he was a calm person; he rarely got angry – but now he was fuming and he knew Hanji was enjoying mocking him.

Hanji ignored him, but rather kept on talking. "It looks like you became some sort of an attachment figure for this little girl – what's her name again?"

"How the hell am _I_ supposed to know that?" Levi snapped.

Hanji threw her head back and draped her arm over his eyes in an overly dramatic movement. "You have an admirer and you don't even know her name? What a shame!"

Levi clenched his fist. "I'm not interested in that little brat. I'm a soldier, not a babysitter. Does this mean I have to stay with this little brat all the time instead of fighting for humanity?"

"Of course not," Erwin responded.

Hanji gave Levi a serious expression. "Levi," she began, "this girl needs someone to take care of her. She mustn't be alone. It'll be only until we find a family for her. She can or rather _has to_ stay with someone else so that we can go on our missions – if we have any, that is. But while we're here she needs to stay with you."

Levi didn't answer. On the one hand, he was glad to still be able to go on missions – but on the other hand, he was more than pissed with the fact that he had to play babysitter for that little brat.

"Mister doesn't have to stay with me..."

Everyone's head jerked around at the sound of the new and squeaky voice. The little girl was standing in the office's doorway. Levi raised his eyebrows. _Mister?_ He closely examined her from head to toe and immediately felt his heart clench. Her face looked almost emotionless, the look in her eyes seemed so empty and she looked even more tired than before. She staggered a bit; her weak, thin body was obviously barely able to keep her standing.

"What was that now, dearie?" Hanji asked in her sweetest voice, smiling softly at the girl.

"Mister doesn't have to stay with me..." she repeated. "I can stay alone."

Levi couldn't help but looking at her. Even _he_ had to admit it; she looked adorable.

"But, why, dearie, you'll surely feel alone when he's not with you, won't you?" Hanji smirked at Levi which did not impress the latter in the least.

"He doesn't want to stay with me. He shouldn't have to." The girl shortly glanced at Levi, but quickly looked down nervously when she noticed him watching her.

That sad look in her eyes made Levi's heart clench once again.

"But, dearie, listen..."

"If Mister doesn't want to stay with me he shouldn't have to," the girl repeated. This time, her voice sounded oddly defiant. "Mister hates me..." she said, causing Levi to feel rather sad.

_She thinks I... hate her?_ He gave her an almost sad look. "It's alright."

Hanji's and Erwin's heads jerked around to stare at Levi wide-eyed and with their jaws dropped.

Levi watched the girl with gentle eyes. "It's okay, kid. It's okay." This was the first time he didn't call her a brat – she didn't need to hear any demeaning names right now. He turned toward the door. "Let's go," he said, walking back to his office with the girl following him.

He didn't like this at all, but he knew Hanji was right; this girl needed someone to look after her. At least she was pretty quiet at the moment. Maybe the time with her wouldn't be as annoying as he expected it to be.

"Come in," Levi said when they arrived at his office door, stepping aside to let her in and closing the door behind her. "You can sit on the chair in front of my desk."

She obeyed – or at least tried to; the chair was slightly high for her. He sighed noisily and was about to help her, but she managed to climb it and finally made herself comfortable. She pulled her knees to her chest and made herself as small as possible, trying to avoid his gaze.

"By the way," he began, sitting down on his office chair, "what's your name?"

She still avoided looking him in the eyes and mumbled something.

Levi leaned forward. "What was that?"

"Leviana," she said a bit louder.

His eyes lit up. _Sounds like my name..._

"My mommy always called me 'Levy'... and my daddy called me 'Angel'... I don't know why..." she replied in a monotone voice. She still seemed tired and apathetic, but she shifted as she noticed him watching her.

_(*Note: pronounce Levy like "lee-vee", not entirely sure how I should picture it)_

Levi's gaze softened when he sensed her uneasiness. He just noticed that her nickname was even more similar to his name. "Well, that name is not too bad," he said bluntly, watching the girl look up at him. "What should _I_ call you then?"

"Whatever you like, Mister," she said quietly. She looked down again, avoiding his gaze once more. "I don't like any of them..." she added, whispering, but it was not quiet enough.

Levi suddenly felt insulted _and_ the urge to cheer the girl up at the same time. "Your name is good the way it is," he snapped, causing the girl to flinch. "You're insulting _my_ name as well," he added, this time calm again.

She gave him a short, puzzled and startled glance. "I don't know your name, Mister..."

Levi rolled his eyes in irritation. "My name is Levi. You shouldn't complain." A satisfied sigh escaped his lips when he saw her face brighten up, even though it was only a bit.

"You have my name," she said, seemingly happy to have a namesake.

"No, _you_ have _my_ name," he said in an almost teasing tone. "Your name is the female version of mine. Well, 'Levy' just seems fine with me."

"Yes, Mister Levi," she said.

Levi cocked his eyebrows at her, but he didn't complain. "We have to make some things clear. This is _my_ office and here _my_ word is the rule. You'll do exactly as I say. Don't even think about disturbing me when I'm busy. Understood, brat?" He sounded more harsh than he had intended.

Levy looked down and nodded. "Yes, Mister Levi."

Levi looked at her for a while. _She's pretty mature... She seems to exactly understand the situation she's in, but she copes with it pretty well_, he realized. She was apathetic, but she also seemed pretty calm about everything.

It was silent for a while until Levy dared to break the silence for a short moment. "Where can I sleep, Mister?"

Levi looked up. _Yeah, I forgot..._ "I have some paperwork to do. You can sleep here in my office for tonight."

She nodded and he breathed out a relieved sigh before he finally turned to his paperwork. All the while, she was patiently sitting on her chair, not making any noises, not saying anything. She rather stared at his papers, obviously careful to not disturb him or doing anything to irritate him.

Levi became suspicious. She was too quiet for a little girl, even for a traumatized one – something was wrong. Children her age normally asked many questions.

She shortly looked up, only to quickly look down again.

He sighed. "You don't have to be so quiet. You can talk to me if you want to."

"But Mister said I shouldn't disturb him when he's busy..." she mumbled, giving him a puzzled look, but immediately looking down once again when she noticed him watching her.

Another strange thing. She was so obedient and all this time, she had been avoiding his gaze, talking to him in a formal way, even speaking of him in third person. It was almost as though she was afraid of something.

This irritated him somehow. "Tch, whatever," he finally said. "Trust me, you'll know when I feel disturbed by something."

Levi had the feeling that he shouldn't watch her – he knew she would get intimidated, so he tried to concentrate on his paperworks. However, the sound of her stomach growling quietly made him look up again. Of course. Judging by the look of her thin figure, she surely hadn't eaten for a while. How could he have forgotten that?

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

The little girl looked at him and right on cue, her stomach started growling again, causing her to look down in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Mister Levi..."

"What for?" He raised his eyebrows in question. _Apologizing for being hungry? Something's wrong... What happened to you?_, he wondered. "I'll get you something to eat. Wait here." He left the room when he suddenly noticed her following him. "What are you doing? I said wait here."

She flinched, giving him a frightened look and jumped behind the door.

He understood. _She's afraid of me... But why? Am I really that scary?_ He was used to the fact that people got _intimidated_ by his demeanor and appearance – but the fact that this little girl was actually _afraid_ of him hurt him more than anything else. He didn't even really understand why. It was true; he didn't like children – but that didn't mean he wanted them to be afraid of him.

He turned to leave as he felt something gripping onto the back of his shirt. He tilted his head to see Levy standing behind him, looking at him with a frightened look in eyes. He understood; she didn't want to be alone.

"I'm not leaving," he spoke, his tone oddly gentle this time. "Stay here. I'll be back in a minute." He bit his lip. He felt awkward talking to her like that; that just wasn't him. _What am I actually doing here?_, he wondered.

She slowly released her grip on him and let him go. He quickly went to the mess hall's kitchen to make her a small sandwich; she shouldn't eat too much at once – otherwise she would throw up. He returned and placed the plate in front of her before he walked into his office kitchen to make her some tea. He finally returned to his chair, noticing that she hadn't touched the sandwich yet.

"Eat," he said plainly.

Hesitantly, she reached out for the plate and grabbed the sandwich, taking a huge bite. She quickly started gobbling down her food, taking the next bite before she swallowed the first one.

Levi, in fact, became worried. He stopped her. "Oi, easy, kid. Eat slowly. You're going to throw up if you keep it up at this rate."

She obeyed and ate more slowly, carefully chewing and swallowing before she took the next bite.

"That's better. Here, drink something – but slowly." He pushed the cup toward her.

She carefully grabbed it and slowly drank her tea. After she had finished she was sitting quietly on her chair again and Levi felt the urge to say something once more. "I said you shouldn't disturb me, that's true – but I didn't mean for you to not move and sit here all the time. Go ahead and take a look around."

After some hesitation, she finally climbed off her chair and slowly walked around the office, closely looking at everything she could find. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as he watched her walk past him to examine the office kitchen before he finally started to do his paperwork.

Two hours later it was already getting dark. Levy surely was tired. Levi got up and stretched himself when he suddenly froze. He couldn't see her anywhere. He was about to get angry when he saw her lying on the floor beside the chair she had sat on, curled up into a ball. He sighed in relief, squatting down beside her sleeping figure.

"So you already fell asleep, you little brat, eh? Tch..." He scooped her up and gently placed her on the couch standing against the wall across from his desk, covering her with a warm blanket, before he returned to his chair to continue his work.

A gentle knock at his office door pulled him out of his thoughts. It was Hanji. "Levi, I've been thinking..."

"Oh, really?" Levi deadpanned.

Hanji ignored him. "I think I'll go to the market and buy her some clothes. She will need them."

Levi thought for a moment, but then nodded. Hanji was right. "Do just that."

"Ah, by the way – where is she?" she suddenly shouted. "She should go to sleep now."

Levi shot her a warning glare. "Oi, you're waking her up, shit-glasses." He pointed toward the sleeping girl.

Hanji covered her mouth. "Sorry," she whispered, leaving the office and closing the door behind her quietly.

Levi only shook his head before he turned his attention to his paperwork again. He took one last glance at Levy. Maybe it wasn't that bad having her here. He _really_ didn't like children – but she seemed to be a good company. He would need his time to accept her, though... but he would do his best to give Levy a chance. She didn't deserve to be rejected. She was lonely, sad and traumatized, even though she didn't really show it.

He could no longer suppress his urge to smile. Why did she remind him so much of Eren? Maybe because she was a fighter – he had witnessed this when she had, in fact, saved his life. And the fact that she had survived a living hell was already more than enough proof for that.

His smile never left his face when he finally managed to concentrate on his work. He sighed. This stuff would surely take him a week or so.


	2. Chapter 2: What Is That Feeling?

**Chapter 2: What Is That Feeling?**

It had been a week now since Levi had been tasked with taking the little girl named Levy under his wing. Said week had been quite irritating and enjoyable at the same time. His daily routine had been pretty simple; most of the time he had sat in his office, writing his reports, working through the nights, getting some coffee or tea in the morning and evening to stay awake, getting something to eat every now and then, all in order to return to his office and continue his works.

But he had not been alone – Levy had always been keeping him company. The little girl would always sit with him, quietly watching him working on his reports. Everytime he left his office she would quietly follow him like a tiny shadow just so she had not to stay alone; he would get her something to eat everytime he heard her little stomach growl and she would always sleep on the couch when she was tired.

Every now and then Hanji would storm into his office and scold him for not entertaining Levy and keeping her locked up in his office all the time and the young girl would always answer "It's not boring to stay with Mister", causing Hanji to blink in suprise and leave the office again.

Levi had become used to Levy's presence and since she was very quiet he had nothing to complain about at all. Actually, he was glad to have someone with him, even though he would never verbally admit it. Also did he realize that Levy was getting calmer and calmer around him as time passed by; well, okay, she still flinched everytime he talked to her or looked at her – but she seemed to start understanding that he was not out to harm her.

Levi finally finished his last report and put it aside. He stretched and looked at Levy sitting quietly on her chair again. "You okay, kid?"

She flinched slightly and looked up.

He sighed. "At ease, kid, don't be so jumpy. You act as though you were afraid of getting beat up."

Something flashed up in her eyes – something Levi could not quite determine. Whatever it was, it caused Levy to quickly look down again.

This unsettled Levi somehow. "Are you okay?" he asked her again, leaning forward a bit to get a better look on her. She nodded, but it didn't really convince him. "Do you need something?"

She shook her head.

Levi cocked his eyebrows at her. "Tch, whatever." He would find out later. He was too tired to argue with that little brat right now. He took a look at his pocket watch. "It's getting late. Are you tired?"

Levy nodded instead of speaking up.

"Well, you can go to sleep anytime. I'm going to bed now. I'm tired. Good night." He was about to leave his office when he noticed her behind him. "What are you doing?"

She gave him a startled look. "Please stay with me, Mister. I don't want to be alone," she whispered.

The sad look in her eyes made his heart clench and he sighed noisily. "Fine, I'll stay with you. But only until you're asleep, understood? I have a right to sleep, too."

She nodded and climbed onto the couch. He spread the blanket over her. And so he sat beside her until she finally closed her eyes and her breath became calm. He left the office, quietly closing the door behind him, and made his way to his bedroom. Since his room was practically right next to his office he would hear Levy in case she woke up. He felt kind of bad for leaving the little girl alone in his office, but he needed to get some rest as well.

He quickly changed and collapsed onto his bed, snuggling into his covers and stretching to release his aching body from its tensed state. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep – but only for a short while.

"MISTER!"

His eyes flew wide open again and he sighed in irritation before he stood up, quickly making his way to his office again to find Levy sitting on the couch with her arms wrapped around her knees, trembling. "What?" he sighed.

A nightmare. Of course. After a while, he managed to calm her down and sat with her until she fell asleep again. However, this continued for at least one and a half hour until Levi had it.

"Alright, that's it!" he growled.

He opened the door to his office once again. However, this time, he found Levy sitting under the couch and crying. This had him out of his anger and he caught himself being worried about her. He knew she wouldn't sleep if he wasn't near, so there was only one way.

He squatted down beside her and sighed heavily. "If I let you sleep in my room," he began, causing her to look up at him, "will you finally be quiet and sleep for a while?"

Levy looked at him with glassy eyes and nodded, even though it seemed unsure.

He sighed again and stood up. "Fine. Come on." Looking at her, he became worried once more; her body was trembling heavily, barely able to keep her standing. He bent down to reach out for her. She flinched and backed away, causing him to pause. His face softened. "It's okay, kid. Come here."

After a while, she calmed down and walked into his open arms. He gently scooped her up and grabbed her blanket with his free hand to bring both to his room. He placed Levy on the couch standing against the wall across from his bed and set up the cushions for her to lie on. He covered her with the blanket.

"And now sleep. Good night," he yawned. He prepared to walk over to his bed, only to be stopped by Levy's hand gripping onto the back of his shirt. "What now?" he griped.

She obviously felt intimidated now; she released her grip on him and stayed silent.

Levi sighed before he continued in a more gentle and patient tone. "What is it?"

"Don't leave me, Mister... please..." she begged, keeping her voice close to a whisper.

Levi's eyes widened. "I'm not leaving. I'm right here."

"Can I stay with you, Mister?" she asked. Levi's eyes widened even more; she was asking to sleep in his bed.

He looked at her closely. Only now did he notice how filthy she was; her skin was caked in dirt as well as her hair and her dress. "Tch, no way, you filthy brat," he growled, causing her to give him a startled and sad look. He mentally scolded himself for being so rude. He sighed. He walked over to his armchair and pushed it toward the couch, grabbing his covers from the bed before he finally sat down. "I'll stay right here. I'm not leaving. Will you sleep now?"

After some hesitation, she finally nodded. He gently pushed her back, so she lied down and allowed him to cover her with her blanket. He wrapped his own blanket around himself and snuggled into it, leaning back in his armchair. He closed his eyes and sighed before he finally fell asleep as well.

The following nights were just the same; she would always wake up and he would have to sit beside her, so she could sleep.

* * *

Levi had Hanji and Eren come over to his office.

"Hanji, how is it going with the search for a foster family?" Levi questioned.

"We haven't found any yet, but I'm sure we will find one very soon," Hanji replied. "I just don't trust some people here..."

Levi nodded. "Good. What about missions? Will we have any?"

"Nope, no missions listed so far."

Levi sighed. "Good. Listen, I need you to buy this little brat some basic stuff. Go into town and buy everything you can find. She will stay a little longer, so she should at least be able to clean herself up." Levy was still sleeping in his room. He would come later to wake her up.

Hanji nodded.

He turned to Eren. "Eren, do you have any clothes you can spare for the girl? Clothes you don't need anymore? She needs something comfortable to wear during the day. I don't trust the shops in town too much, so I thought I ask you first."

Eren blinked a few times in confusion. "Um... sir?"

Levi didn't answer. He rather watched Eren closely, causing the brunet to nervously look down.

"Uh, well, I guess so... Now that you ask... I think I have some stuff left I don't wear anymore." Eren gave Levi a look as if hoping that he was satisfied.

Levi nodded in approval. "Good. I will need them."

"But won't they be... too large for her?" Eren asked hesitantly.

"I know a dressmaker in town. I'm sure she can do something about this," Levi replied. "You know her, too, Hanji."

Hanji nodded. "I'm waiting for your clothes, Eren!" she shouted happily, storming out the office.

Eren nodded. "Do you need me to do anything else, sir?"

"No," Levi responded. "You can leave now. Oh, I forgot – bring one of your shirts to me. The kid needs something for later."

Eren nodded and gave his superior a salute – but he never left the office. Instead, he pulled an uncomfortable face as if he wanted to say something.

"What?" Levi questioned.

"Sir? Why me?" Eren asked after some initial hesitation.

Levi didn't answer right away. He thought for a moment. "Why not?" he questioned back, raising his eyebrows and causing Eren to give him a puzzled look. He sighed. "Because I trust you, Eren. And because you are the only who I believe could get along with kids." He suddenly felt a bit playful. "Besides, you're the only one whose clothes might suit her," he deadpanned.

Eren stared at him wide-eyed before he finally smiled brightly. "Thank you, sir," he said, bringing his fist to his heart once more before walking out the office.

Levi pulled out his pocket watch. "Time to wake up the little brat," he sighed, making his way to his room. However, he did not expect to see Levy was already awake, sitting on the couch she had slept on. "Decide to join the living yet, kid?"

Levy nodded slightly.

Levi looked at her for a while. Seeing her dirty skin, he failed to ignore the nagging feeling inside him and grimaced in disgust. "Tch, just look at you, you filthy brat," he muttered. "You need to wash that filth off. I will draw in a bath for you." He walked into the bathroom to prepare everything.

Levy was standing behind him, hesitantly tugging at his shirt lightly.

"What?" Levi asked without looking at her.

"Can I have bubbles, Mister?" she asked quietly.

Levi turned to face her, causing her to quickly look down.

"Mommy always made bubbles..."

Levi looked at her for a while, watching as she nervously tugged at her own sleeves. He really couldn't help but thinking that she actually looked cute – and he didn't even find it strange. "Fine", he finally said, grabbing the foam bath bottle and pouring some of the liquid into the bathtub.

All the while, Levy was standing next to him, happily watching the foam build up. Somehow, it made Levi feel satisfied to see that small things like that could make her happy. She was slowly warming up to him and obviously started to feel at ease with him – this made him happy and he didn't even really know why.

"I suppose you won't be needing help in here," Levi pointed out.

Levy shook her head without looking at him, obviously more interested in watching the bubbles in the bathtub.

"Very well. I'll be in my room then. And keep the bathroom clean!" he called after closing the door.

"Yes, Mister Levi!" she replied.

And so Levi sat in his armchair with his legs crossed, reading his book and waiting for her to clean herself up. A gentle knock at his door caused him to look up. "Come in." He already knew that it was Eren.

Said boy hesitantly stepped in. "Are you sure? I don't..." he started, but he was interrupted by Levi.

"Didn't I just tell you to come in?" he snapped.

Eren immediately caught himself. "Yes, sir!" He stepped closer, handing Levi a pair of socks and a brownish green shirt with string tassels at its collar – this was Eren's typical attire. However, both pieces of cloth looked like they had shrunken. "I washed this one at a too hot temperature..." he explained, looking down in embarrassment.

"Tch, typical... Be more careful next time, you brat," Levi said, causing Eren to breath out a relieved sigh. Levi examined the shirt. It had the perfect size for Levy's small body. "Good. You can leave now."

Eren gave his superior a salute before disappearing.

_Tch... Why does he have to always do that?_, Levi wondered, referring to Eren's tendency to salute him at every opportunity. _It's really annoying..._ The soft rumbling sound coming from the bathroom had him out of his thoughts.

"Mister?" Levy's soft, squeaky voice called from inside.

Levi stood up, walking toward the bathroom door. "What?" he asked through the door.

"Could you please call Miss Hanji?"

Levi cocked his eyebrows. "What for? Do you need something?" He was greeted with silence. "Wait, I'm coming in," he warned her in advance. He opened the door slightly to poke his head through.

Levy was still sitting in the bathtub with the foam surrounding her small body; only her head was visible from here. She looked at him helplessly." I can't reach my back, Mister," she said uneasily, wrapping her arms around her knees which she had pulled to her chest.

Levi's face softened. "I see. Well, Hanji isn't here – she's in town to get some things for you."

"Oh... but my mommy always washed my back..." she mumbled, nervously shrinking behind the wall off bubbles. She seemed to be unsure of what to do now. He wasn't sure why she did that, but she always associated people with her mother – however, she also seemed to be trying to avoid him in any way.

Levi thought for a moment. If there was one thing he knew for sure then it was the fact that he was not a pervert or a pedophile. He had no malicious intents toward this girl, so he had no problem with helping her. "I can help you if you want me to," he finally said. "I can wash your back."

Levy's head snapped up and she gave him a startled look, wrapping her arms around her knees more tightly. Levi's gaze narrowed. Something was wrong with her. _What happened to you, kid?_, he wondered. The little girl was obviously unsure of what to say; she nervously shifted in her nest of bubbles.

Levi sighed before fully stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. "Do you want me to help you now or not?"

She hesitated for a few moments before she finally nodded – even if only halfheartedly.

"Good." Levi took the uniform's jacket off and rolled up his sleeves before he took the soft sponge from the sink and sat down beside the bathtub. He wet it and started to reach out for Levy's back when the tiny girl suddenly flinched and backed away. This dumbfounded him and he paused for a moment before his eyes lit up in realization. "I don't know what happened to you," he began with a gentle tone in his voice, "but I swear I won't touch you."

He bit his lip. That wasn't entirely true; he would have to touch her in order to wash her back; but one glance at Levy proved that she understood what he had meant. Said girl looked at him with a strangely empty expression in her face.

He gave her his most gentle look. "I'm not touching you," he assured her again. "Just let me wash your back. It's okay."

She finally relaxed and let her thin arms drop to her sides.

"Lean forward a bit, so I can reach your back," he said, pushing her gently.

She did just that and even allowed him to gently brush her long hair off her back. _Damn, that's too long..._ He walked over to his bathroom cabinet and searched through the drawers and shelves until he found a ribbon. "Listen, Levy, I have to tie up your hair, so it won't get wet." This was actually the first time he had called her by her name.

She nodded.

He looked at her filthy, tousled hair and grimaced in disgust. He would have to help her wash it. He carefully tied it into a small bun before he proceeded to gently wipe the sponge over her dirty skin. At first, she flinched and tensed under his touch, but she quickly relaxed when she seemed to understand that he only meant to help her. Soon, her skin was clean as freshly fallen snow.

"You can finish yourself up now. I'll bring you a shirt," Levi said, shortly leaving the bathroom to get Eren's clothes for her. "I'll put them here," he said, placing the clothes onto the chair standing next to the door before closing the door behind him and sitting on his armchair again.

Shortly after, the door opened and out came a clean Levy. She was wearing Eren's shrunken shirt which reached down to her calves like a dress and suited her perfectly, and his socks which obviously still reached up to her thighs. She seemed to feel comfortable in the shirt as she snuggled into the piece of cloth.

Levi examined her from head to toe. "Not bad," he mumbled. He stood up. "Now we'll do your hair."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, backing away.

"I'll help you."

She shook her head again.

He became impatient. "You will wash your hair, understood, brat?" he snapped, silently scolding himself once more.

She finally nodded, so he grabbed the small stool from under his bed and placed it in front of the bathtub. It had the perfect height for her to lean her head back without having her neck cricked. He ordered Levy to sit on the stool which she did. However, she hesitated when she saw him turning on the faucet.

"Lean back," he ordered, receiving a vigorous head-shaking. He noticed how she looked at the flowing water with a frightened expression on her face. "What is it?" he asked, giving her a puzzled look, but he immediately understood; many children seemed to be afraid that the water might get in their eyes as many parents just dunked their children's head in water in order to wash their hair. "It's okay. Just lean back. Trust me, I will be careful."

She finally relaxed and obeyed, allowing him to rinse her dirty hair. He grimaced in disgust once more when he saw the water pouring into the tub turning dark and muddy from the dirt in her hair. He poured some shampoo in his palms and gently rubbed it into her hair, feeling her slowly relax under his touch. Somehow, this caused him to breath out a satisfied sigh. After he had finished rinsing her hair once again, he wrung it out and began to gently rub a towel over it until it was almost dry.

"There you go. Careful enough for you?" he asked.

She looked at him and gave him a faint smile, nodding lightly. Levi's eyes widened; this was the first real smile she had managed so far. Later that day, Hanji came over to bring the clothes and the toiletries she had bought for Levy. But beside that, nothing important happened – it was just as always.

_What a shitty day_, Levi thought as he collapsed onto his bed. _First, I had to help this little brat with nearly everything – and then Hanji assaults me with questions... Tch..._

The brunette was excited about the fact that Levi seemed to get along with Levy – and this drove him crazy to the point of irritation. However, he knew Levy was to blame for nothing; it had not been her fault that she had needed help. It had not been her fault that he had been chosen to be her guardian – it had all been a fucking coincidence.

He glanced over at Levy's figure sleeping soundly on the couch before he closed his eyes and finally allowed his mind to drift into the realm of sleep. He woke up to someone gently poking him with their small hands.

"Mister?"

He felt his eyebrow twitching in irritation. "What now?" he growled.

"I can't sleep..." Levy's voice was shaky and insecure.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Levi grumbled, massaging his temples.

"Can I please sleep with you, Mister?" she asked uneasily.

He thought for a moment. He was too tired to stand up now and his bed was a lot more comfortable than his armchair – but the girl wouldn't sleep as long as he wasn't watching over her. "Will you _finally_ be quiet if I let you sleep with me?"

He heard her rustling and knew she was nodding.

"Tch, the hell... Climb in," he said. He was greeted with silence. "What are you waiting for? I said climb in." He heard the girl making her way around to the other side of his bed. He felt the matress moving lightly as she climbed in. "Good. And now sleep already."

He expected her to move and eventually pressing herself close to him to feel safe; he already prepared himself for it and sighed heavily – but she never did so. He turned slightly to glance at the girl lying next to him. She was snuggled up in her blanket and was lying on the other side of the bed, giving him enough room to move and turn. He lied back down and felt a small smile tugging at his lips; she seemed to know the limits.

The following nights were the same; she would always wake up in the middle of the night and wordlessly climb into Levi's bed – but somehow, he didn't care anymore.

* * *

"Any missions listed?" Levi asked almost hopefully. He needed to get away from that little brat for at least a few hours.

Hanji pouted and gave him a sympathetic look which only added to his annoyance. "No, I'm sorry, shorty."

"Call me 'shorty' one more time, shit-glasses..." he growled.

Hanji waved his threats off. "Whatever you say, honey!" She laughed and playfully winked at Levi, only causing him to shoot her a death glare. "I'll be leaving now!" she shouted, storming out the office as always.

_Tch... So noisy..._ Levi glanced over at Levy. She was kneeling on the chair next to the window on his right, quietly staring outside. He wondered. Was she really so annoying like he always tried to talk himself into? It was true that she followed him everywhere he would go – but she never hindered him. She never asked any questions. She never got in his way. All she wanted was to not be left alone. She wasn't annoying. Then why was he thinking that? Why was he so impatient toward her? What had she done to him?

Nothing – nothing at all. In fact, she had never done anything to irritate him so far. She had always been with him, accepting his presence, accepting his offers to help her. She had always kept him company and even made him feel comfortable when he knew she was fine. But she had never asked for anything – all she wanted was someone who took care of her. Someone who accepted her. He finally started to understand.

But nonetheless, he could very well do with a few hours for himself and without her – but how could he achieve that?

He watched her closely. She was even quieter than she had been before – but he was sure it was because she had learned about Eren's ability to transform into a Titan. She didn't seemed to really have understood what that information meant, but ever since then she had been very careful to not get lost to Levi. His gaze softened.

"Levy."

The young girl quickly turned her attention toward him, looking at him with her big eyes.

"Would you like to go out for a meal with Hanji today? You haven't been eaten a lot this morning."

Right on cue, her stomach started to growl, just when she was about to open her mouth to speak. She nodded.

"Good. I need to get a few things done. Her office is at the end of the hallway. Will you find your way there by yourself?" he asked.

She nodded, climbing off the chair, and walked out. It became quiet in his office – but not for long.

"No, wait! Don't run away! I'm not gonna hurt you!"

The sound of Eren's voice caused him to look up again. The door to his office was yanked open and Levy ran inside with a frightened expression on her face, immediately taking cover behind Levi who had just stood up. She grabbed onto his leg and began crying; he just noticed that she barely reached his mid-thigh. Eren ran in merely a second later.

"Sir, I'm so sorry!" he apologized. "It was my fault, I really didn't mean to scare her..." Since this week was off work, he was wearing his casual attire.

"It's fine, Eren," Levi answered bluntly before turning to face Levy who was still clinging to his leg, tears of fear streaming down her face. "Levy, look at me. Look at me."

The little girl obeyed, but she further hid behind Levi.

"It's okay, kid. You don't have to be afraid of Eren. He's a friend. You can trust him just as much as you can trust me. He would never hurt anyone, let alone eat them. It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of," Levi said gently.

Eren's eyes had involuntarily widened at Levi's friendly words, but he caught himself. He took a careful step forward, noticing how the girl flinched. "Listen, kid, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. But I promise I'm not gonna hurt you, so you don't have to be afraid of me. It's okay, I won't hurt you." Eren's voice sounded calming and gentle and indeed he saw the girl relax a bit.

Levi squatted down beside her. "Hey... Look at me – and then look at him. Who looks scarier? Does he?" He pointed toward Eren and then back to himself. "Or do I?" he asked, giving her a theatrical glare.

Her gaze wandered from Eren back to Levi again. She pointed at Levi, causing Eren to chuckle and Levi to smile.

"See? It's alright. He won't hurt you." He watched Levy slowly leave her cover. "Besides, Eren is the one who gave you those shirts – you should thank him." He motioned for Eren to come closer which he did, carefully, slowly.

Once he reached the little girl he squatted down. "Hey... I might be scary... but I won't hurt you," he said gently. "Don't be afraid."

The little girl slowly left her cover behind Levi and walked toward Eren. She looked at him for a while, reaching out to carefully touch his face and hair, obviously trying to test if he really was human.

Eren's eyes widened at this, but a smile quickly spread across his face and he laughed. "Yeah, I'm a human, you see? Nothing to be afraid of."

Levi suddenly felt a strange lump in his throat and he caught himself feeling jealous without really understanding why. _What is that feeling?_, he wondered. Seeing Eren and Levy like this, an idea came to his mind. "Eren."

Eren looked at him. "Sir?"

"Would you mind taking care of her for a few hours? I need to get some things done."

Eren nodded. "Sure."

"I hope that's okay for you, Levy," Levi replied, raising his eyebrows in question.

Levy nodded, even though it seemed unsure which Eren noticed. "Don't worry, it'll be okay. You can stay with me." He stood up and reached out for Levy, taking her hand to lead her outside. She flinched shortly at the contact, but she quickly relaxed. "Let's go eat something, shall we?" Eren asked.

Levi stood still for a while, processing what had just happened. He had indeed felt jealous seeing Eren and Levy together. He had felt worried about Levy when she had been so quiet or when she had cried. _Why?_, he wondered. _What is that feeling?_ This question never left his mind when he sat down to sign some reports Hanji had given to him.

_WHAT IS THAT FEELING?_

_**A/N: Yeah, that's the question, right? So Levi starts to like Levy. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Remember to review and fav xD. And sorry if I missed some grammar mistakes... And sorry if this sounds a bit rushed or crappy - I really couldn't concentrate that day... AND this is a short story, means this is why I put in many time skips and so on.  
**_


	3. Chapter 3: Hurtful Words

**Chapter 3: Hurtful Words**

_**A/N: Sometimes it's Eren's POV when Levi is too busy xD**_

"By the way," Eren began, "what's your name?"

"Leviana," the girl responded, "but Mister calls me 'Levy'."

"Well, that's a nice name. I think I know why he calls you that." Eren smirked. So Levi liked his name, huh? "I'm Eren," he said, offering his hand to the little girl. He sighed in relief when she took it with her own small one, even though hesitantly. He smiled. _She's cute_, he thought. "We'll be eating in town. There's a good inn. Sometimes I really hate eating in the mess hall with all those noisy people there."

Karanese's _Golden Inn_ was a very cozy place, always lit up in a warm glow, welcoming every guest who entered it. Eren always came here when he wanted to be on his own for a while, without Mikasa, Armin or Jean following or arguing with him. The food there was very delicious as well as the drinks – much better than in the mess hall. The inn had two secluded areas; one was for the soldiers who came here often to drink after a successful mission, the other one was for people like Eren who just came here to enjoy their meal and drinks in peace.

Eren walked over to his regular table and sat down, noticing how Levy was struggling to climb onto the bench. He became worried about her sitting too far away from him. "Wait, Levy. Come here. Sit next to me," he said, watching the girl walk over to his side of the table. He carefully grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up to gently sit her down next to him. "There you go." He laughed when he noticed how she struggled to look over the table.

She shifted nervously; she still seemed a bit unsure whether she could trust him or not. Eren ordered a meal for two and was about to start eating when his seagreen eyes met her brown ones. She was casting him a helpless look. Of course – she was a bit too small for the table. He put down his spoon.

"Wait, I have an idea," he said, causing Levy to give him a puzzled look. He reached out for her when she suddenly flinched. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. You can sit on my lap." After a while she relaxed. Gently, he picked her up and settled her onto his lap. She squirmed, obviously feeling uneasy being so close to him. "It's okay," he responded gently, smiling as she relaxed. "We'll do this together."

It was a bit difficult to eat with a little girl on his lap who had to eat herself, but they did it in the end. Since they still had some time left, Eren decided to roam the city with Levy a bit. To make sure she wouldn't get lost he scooped her up and carried her around which she allowed him after some initial hesitation. She had her thin arms wrapped around his neck to keep herself steady.

"I wanted to buy something for Mister," she said after a while.

Eren looked at her. "You mean something like a gift?"

She nodded. "But I had no money and I don't know where to get some," she explained with a sad expression on her face which tugged at Eren's emotions.

He thought for a moment. "Don't worry, I have some money with me. We can buy something for him together," he replied with a warm smile in his face. He watched as Levy's face brightened up and she gave him a small smile.

In the end, she picked a beautiful blue casket, ornated with numerous golden treble clef-shaped markings and a golden treble clef as a lock; a crystal-shaped glass cover, colored like a green amethyst, was embedded in the lid with white lily and rose petals molded into it. The small chest was slightly expensive, but seeing the happy expression in Levy's face, Eren decided it was definitely worth it. So they returned to headquarters.

"We're back, Corporal," Eren said upon entering, gently putting down Levy who had the small bag with the casket inside it with her.

Levi looked up and immediately sensed that something was off, but he didn't say anything about it. He wasn't interested in it, anyway, as his mood had just dropped onto a dangerously low level once again – and he didn't even really know why.

"Where have you brats been?" he questioned harshly, his annoyance more than evident.

He watched Eren's eyes grow wide as said boy gave him a startled look. "Well... We have been in town... sir...", he stammered, his confusion obvious.

"_Well_, took you long enough. You could have been back long ago," Levi snapped. "I was looking for you two."

"I-I... I'm sorry, sir..." Eren stammered, blinking in confusion. He had never seen his superior so upset before.

"Whatever. What's done is done. Get the fuck out now, you shitty brat – I have work to do." His eyes widened. _What the fuck is wrong with me? That boy didn't do anything to me._ He felt his emotions being tugged at when he watched Eren's face fall.

"Yes, sir..." a bewildered Eren replied with a sad expression on his face. "See you later, Levy!" he added.

Levi didn't pay Levy any attention while returning to his chair. He was simply pissed off now and he didn't even really know why – maybe it was because he knew that Hanji was messing around with him. He was sure that she was trying to delay the search for a foster family because she found it cute how Levi got along with Levy; she liked the idea of them being some kind of a family – but he didn't want the girl with him. He didn't want to get involved with her. However, it was not because he didn't like her – not at all.

The truth was, he had really come to like this little girl who was always there beside him, keeping him company, even offering him comfort without noticing. In fact, he already felt himself fearing the day he would be torn away from her – and exactly _this_ was the reason why he wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible. He didn't deem himself worthy of giving this little girl all the love she deserved. He who had never experienced true love himself had no right of caring about that girl – he didn't even know what it meant.

He cared about his soldiers, yes – but that wasn't the same as caring about a little girl. He wasn't gentle or good enough to take care of her. And Hanji was obviously conspiring against him.

As soon as he heard the knock at his office door he stormed outside, slamming the door shut behind him and taking Hanji out of Levy's hearing range – or so he thought.

"That's it, shit-glasses," he growled, causing Hanji to give him a puzzled and startled look. "I'm not having this any longer. You will look for a foster family _now_!"

Hanji gave him a cocky smile. "Why, shorty, I thought you like her?" she teased him.

He felt his heart clench, but he didn't show it. "I don't care about what you think or thought! I gave you an order some weeks ago and ever since then you've been trying to delay following it!" he shouted. He didn't care if anyone heard him – was this a mistake?

Hanji's smile disappeared. For the first time, Levi had actually dumbfounded her. "But... Levi..." she started.

"What?!" Levi was in a heat now. He couldn't hold himself and his feelings back anymore.

"What about the girl?"

"What about her?!"

"Are you sure about this? When she is gone you will never be able to see her again," Hanji told him with a sad look in her eyes.

Levi's eyes widened and he blinked a few times. Hanji had just thrown the truth at him; he would never see Levy again when she lived in a foster family – however, it surely was better for her.

"I thought you like her, Levi? And she likes you, so what's the problem?" Hanji was getting angry now. "You should finally wake up and notice your feelings toward her!" she shouted.

And that was it. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT LITTLE BRAT!" he shouted, causing his voice to echo in the hallway and Hanji to go dead silent. "And I'd like to get rid of her as soon as possible! So get your ass in gear, shit-glasses!" He walked over to his office again.

Hanji gave him a hurt expression. "You really are mean, you know that? She's done nothing to you, in fact, she never questioned you, she's always been at your side – and she doesn't deserve you to be kicking her around like she had no feelings! Don't you have _any_ human feelings at all?!"

Levi's face turned into a rueful expression: She was right; Levy didn't deserve to be kicked around by someone like him – and that was why she had to leave.

He returned to his office chair. Little did he know that Levy had heard everything he had said.

* * *

A few days had passed. Once again, Levi sat in his office, but this time, he wasn't working. He was simply sitting there and doing nothing. He just didn't feel like it. He rather watched Levy who hadn't talked to him for almost a week now, sitting on the couch and staring out the window.

She had been behaving so strangely reserved, not answering his questions anymore, refusing to eat or refusing his help when she was in the bathroom; she didn't even sleep in his bed anymore – it was almost as if he had suddenly become a stranger to her.

Something was off and he couldn't imagine what or why she was being so quiet around him. Well, she had always been quiet – but at least she had reacted to him when he had talked to her, even if she had only shaken her head or nodded.

"Levy?" he finally asked, hoping to get a reaction from her – but she disappointed him. "You okay, kid?"

Levy nodded slowly, without looking at him.

His shoulder sagged and he frowned. _What's wrong with her?_, he wondered. "Are you mad at me, Levy? Have I done something to you?" It was awkward for him asking a childish question like this, but he felt it was necessary. He watched the little girl shake her head; again, without looking at him. "Look at me."

After some hesitation, she finally did so.

"Are you sure?" he asked sceptically, raising his eyebrows in question. He received another head-nodding. He wasn't convinced, but he let it slip. "Okay."

The both of them remained silent for a while until Levy broke the silence. "Can I go outside, Mister?" she asked, this time not addressing him as 'Mister Levi', which he noticed.

"Outside? Why?"

"I want to play outside," she answered rather bluntly.

"Okay... But take Eren with you, just in case," Levi replied.

"I don't know where he is, Mister..." she said, nervously looking down.

"His room is across from my bedroom – it's the room next to my office, as you may know."

She nodded and left the office, leaving a rather bewildered and dumbfounded Levi behind. _She's trying to get away from me_, he realized sadly. _But why? Did I do something to her?_

Eren was lying on his bed, reading a book Armin had given to him. He was still puzzling over his superior's reaction. _What's gotten into him all of a sudden? I didn't do anything to him..._ A gentle knock at his door had him out of his thoughts. It was Levy.

"Hey, little one," Eren said with a warm smile. _She really is too damn cute_, he thought when he saw the unsure look in her big eyes.

"I want to play outside... Can you go with me, please, Mister?," she asked hesitantly.

"You want me to play with you? Okay." Eren put the book aside and stood up. "Let's walk around the park," he said, taking her hand.

Levi looked out of his window, but he couldn't see Levy or Eren anywhere. However, the question where they could be was answered when he heard the screams.

"MISTER!" Levy burst through the door, tears streaming down her face.

"Levy?! What happened? Are you hurt?" Levi was almost hysterical. He squatted down in front of Levy and tried to calm down the panicking girl.

"You have to help Mister Eren! They're hurting him!" she screamed between her sobs.

Levi's brows furrowed. "Who? And where?!"

He let the girl lead him to Eren. He was being beat up by a group of thugs. Levi had seen them before; they had been trying to kidnap Eren because of his ability to transform and blackmail the Survey Corps with him – but Levi had managed to stop them.

Eren was a bloody mess. Blood was streaming out of his mouth and nose and he had many bruises in his face – and they were still beating him.

"Not so tough now, are you? Huh? You monster!" one of them sneered. "Wait a second... Where's that little brat?!"

"Shit, she must have ran away to get help!"

"Then we should better get a move on!" the obvious leader of the group said, grabbing Eren by his hair, causing the brunet to scream in pain.

That was it. "Stay here, Levy!" Levi called to Levy while striding toward the group of four. He didn't wait, but rather immediately lifted his slender leg as high as possible and brought the first blow to the group leader's head, knocking him off his feet.

"Shit, it's that shorty!"

"Who are you calling 'shorty', shitface?" Levi's voice was calm; too calm... People who knew him knew what that meant – and it wasn't a good sign.

They were maybe four and he was shorter than each of them, but that didn't make him helpless. He was not only good at slicing Titans' necks – he was also a very skilled short-range combatant. He managed to take them down within a couple of seconds without really hurting them.

"You should leave before this gets worse."

One of them stood up; the boss, of course.

"Quite the persistent one, aren't we?" Levi just stood there, waving him over with his index finger. "Then come on, bring it. But, I'm warning you – I won't be gentle. This time, I will use my full strength. It's up to you to decide whether you want to be beat up."

The other boys had stood up as well. They grabbed their boss and ran as fast as they could.

"You can come back anytime – if you wish for a facial makeover, that is," Levi added in a sharp tone of voice. "It's okay, Levy. You can come out now."

He turned to face Eren and felt his heart clench. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Eren had quite a frightening ability, that was true – but to Levi, he was still a human. And human life shouldn't be undervalued. He was actually furious now, itching to run after those little scumbags and beat the shit out of them, but his mind got the better off him. They weren't really worth it. He breathed out a loud sigh to calm himself down.

He squatted down beside the brunette-haired boy who hardly was able to move. He carefully touched his shoulder. "Eren? Eren, can you hear me?"

The brunet flinched under his touch and tried to back away, throwing his fists and jerking his head up only to stare into his superior's eyes.

"Eren! Calm down, it's okay! It's okay." He watched the brunet relax again. "How do you feel?"

"I had better days..." Eren deadpanned, chuckling softly. "That hurt even worse than back then when _you_ beat me up, Corporal..." He chuckled again.

Levi sighed in relief and couldn't help but smile at Eren's sense of humor. "That was because I held back – well, at least a bit." He watched Eren smile. "Good. Can you stand?"

Eren gave him a strangely helpless look. "I'm not sure..."

Levi draped Eren's arm over his shoulders. "I'll support you. Come on." With a little bit of effort and gentle force he managed to pull Eren up and brought said boy to his room. "Lie down," he said, gently placing Eren on his bed. "You need to rest until your wounds are healed." He watched Levy running into the bathroom. He heard water splashing and then she came out again, holding a washcloth in her hands.

The little girl stood beside Eren's bed and gently wiped the washcloth over his bloody face. She placed a hand on his forehead before she ran into the bathroom again to get another wet washcloth which she folded and placed on his forehead. Eren gave her a puzzled look.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Mister is sick. Mister needs to be treated," she said. "Mommy always did that. She said that was how she always knew when I was sick and then she put a washcloth on my head."

Levi understood. She thought Eren had a fever. He surely was burning hot because of his healing powers working on mending his broken body. Levi couldn't suppress his smile any longer. She really was too damn cute, wasn't she? He noticed how often he had smiled since she had been with him – he had never smiled before, at least not too obvious, and surely not that often.

"Aww, you're so cute. Do you know that?" Eren said, reaching out to caress Levy's head.

"Levy," Levi spoke, "we should let Eren rest for a while." He waited until Levy went back to his office. "Eren. Don't worry. I'll make sure they never come back."

He returned to his office as well, closing the door behind him and returning to his chair. He cast a glance toward Levy who was again sitting on the couch, staring out the window. "Don't worry. He'll be fine."

She nodded, again without looking at him.

"What's wrong with you, little one?" he finally asked.

"I'm fine, Mister Levi," she said hastily.

_Of course you are_, Levi thought sarcastically. _What did I do to you?_

_**A/N: Well, Levi is really clumsy when it comes to feelings, huh? Will he find out that he was the reason Levy changed so much all of sudden? Sorry, this chapter is so short, but the next will be up soon, promise! Plus, the story is almost over... I'm sorry... :( BUT I can still write some bonus material :3 And it looks like it will have some more parts!  
**_


	4. Chapter 4: Acknowledgement

**Chapter 4: Acknowledgement**

_**A/N: A lot of Levi and Levy time in this chapter...**_

Another few days had passed. Eren had quickly recovered from the thugs' attack and Levi had to make sure he would stay out of trouble; the boy was just as furious as he was himself, lusting for revenge like himself. But those scumbags really weren't worth it.

Another few days and Levy still hadn't spoken to him. He was beginning to feel a little irritated. She was obviously mistrusting him which made him sad. He pondered on how to get her out of her shell again. He remembered that he had to get a few things done in town – that would be a great possibility to get closer to her again.

"Levy."

The little girl looked at him.

He raised his eyebrows. _Good, she didn't avoid me this time..._ "I need to run some errands. It will take me some time. Would you like to accompany me?"

The girl seemed to think for a moment, her gaze wandering to the couch. He could see something underneath it. It was the bag she had had with her a few days ago when Eren had brought her back. He wondered what was inside.

"Don't worry. I'll lock the door. It won't be gone when we're back."

So the little girl finally nodded.

The town was overcrowded as always, so Levi decided to get this over with as quickly as possible to keep the risk of losing Levy in the crowd at a minimum. "Stay close to me, kid," he said.

The little girl nodded and grabbed onto his gear's belts wrapped around his thigh; he was wearing his Survey Corps uniform, like he did most of the time. He rarely dressed casual. He tried to move fast, but slow enough for Levy to keep up with him. At that rate, his errands were done pretty quick.

"That's it, little one. We're done," he said, glancing back at Levy. He nearly dropped the bag. She wasn't there. "Levy?! LEVY!"

For the first time in his life he actually started to panic, frantically looking around in hopes to find the tiny girl somewhere in the crowd. _Shit... When the fuck did I loose her?! I should have been more careful, dammit!_ He started asking around, looking through all the shops he could find – but no one had seen the little girl. He sat down on the bench in front of one of the stores, right next to a side alley, wiping his hand over his face.

However, a small scream, sounding more like a loud yelp, coming from the side alley caused him to jerk around. He stood up, walking through, and quickly found what he had been looking for. It was the gang leader from a few days ago and he was pulling Levy down the alleyway – by her hair. Tears were streaming down her face and she struggled to get away.

"Stop struggling, you fucking brat! You're coming with me! You are the reason why we didn't get that fucking beast Jaeger and the one who called that fucking Levi guy, and I'll make you pay for that – with pain! Lots of pain..." the thug said. If Levi remembered correctly, his name was Marcus.

Levy's brown eyes finally met Levi's own dark grey ones. "Mister..." she whispered.

Levi's brows furrowed, his eyes glaring at this monster that happened to look like a human. "Oi. Let her go, shitface."

Marcus jerked around, staring wide-eyed at Levi who had put aside his shopping bags and was already walking toward him. "How did you...?! Nevermind! Don't come any closer! You're not gonna stop me this time!" He jerked the little girl up, pulling her toward him in an instant.

The little girl screamed in pain once again; however, this time louder, and it caused Levi to cringe. His frown deepened in an instant, causing Marcus to jump in fright. However, Levi had to be careful – this guy was violent; any hasty or imprudent action would most likely end up in endangering Levy's life.

Marcus suddenly pulled out a knife and pressed it against Levy's throat, causing Levi to halt in his movements. "Aha! Looks like we found a weak spot on Humanity's Strongest Soldier, huh? Humanity's strongest man has a weak spot for a little girl, isn't it cute? How ironic. You're not willing to sacrifice anyone on your behalf, are you? But just imagine – you would be free of that fucking rugrat. Doesn't that sound promising?" He waited a few moments, but received no answer. "Ha! I knew it! Well, I will walk past you now and you won't move a muscle or I will slit that brat's throat open! Ya hear me?!"

Levi knew this was his only chance; he decided to give that idiot a false sense of security and stepped aside a bit. He watched as Marcus wrapped his arm around Levy's throat, pulling her up with her feet dangling above the ground. She made gagging sounds, struggling and gasping for air. Marcus slowly made his way toward Levi until he was right next to him.

_Your number's up, shitface!_ Levi suddenly did something he had never done before... He smirked. Marcus halted in his movements. He was too dumbfounded too understand the seriousness of the situation; he gave Levi all the time he needed.

Levi stormed forward, grabbing Marcus' right arm which held the blade in its hand in an instant, painfully twisting it onto his back and smashing him against the wall. The thug let go off Levy, resulting in her falling to her knees, but immediately struggling to get up again. Levi grabbed Marcus' other arm and twisted it back as well, pressing harder and harder until Marcus grunted.

He turned to face Levy. "You okay, kid?"

But Levy ran away.

"Levy! What are you doing?! Come back here! Tch..." He turned his attention back to the grunting thug pressed against the wall in front of him. Marcus was rather delicate for a supposed thug and not nearly as muscular and strong as Levi, so the latter nad no problems with restraining him. "You want me to hurt you?" He tightened his grip, causing Marcus to grunt again. "Then go ahead and tell me."

"You already do, you fucker!" Marcus growled, causing Levi to grunt and tighten his grip even more.

"I do? No. You have no idea of true pain. You don't know what it means to feel pain. If you prefer to keep it that way then _stay away from the girl_." Levi's voice was calm, but icy; the coldness in it caused Marcus to flinch. Levi leaned in closer to reach Marcus' ear. "If you touch her or Jaeger again _I will beat you to death_." With that being said, Levi released the now frightened Marcus. "And now leave before I remove you myself."

Marcus rubbed his arms, staring at Levi in horror, before he finally followed his advice and took to his heels.

Levi, on the other hand, began looking for Levy again. _Wait until I grab hold of you, you little...! Why the fuck did she run away from me?!_ However, he found her rather quickly; she was hiding between two garbage containers located in a side alley between two flower shops, making herself as small as possible to avoid being seen – but not enough to hide from him.

He stomped toward her, firmly grabbing her by her shoulders. "Don't run away from me like that! I told you to stay close to me, why didn't you listen?!" He watched the girl staring at him with her eyes widened in fear. "What the fuck was that about?! Why did you run away from me?!" he shouted angrily. He tightened his grip, digging his nails into her shoulders which caused the little girl to yelp in pain.

Levy flinched and started weeping, tears welling up in her eyes. She squirmed under Levi's grip, causing said man to loosen it with a startled look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mister... I'm sorry... Please don't be angry with me!" She tried to escape Levi once again, but he kept her from doing so.

He paused. Something was wrong. Levy was always so obedient; she had never run away from him before and he was sure she never would – at least not without a good reason.

His gaze softened and he sighed, slowly calming down. "I'm sorry. Just don't ever run away from me like that again, understood, little one?" he said gently, watching her nod. She rubbed her shoulders, causing him to give her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you," he mumbled, gently rubbing her shoulders he had just dug his nails into. "Why did you run away from me, anyway?"

Levy didn't look at him, but Levi could still see the sad expression in her face. "I thought it would be better for Mister..." she whispered.

Levi's eyes widened in shock. "What?" He received no answer. "Okay, we'll talk about that later. Let's go back to headquarters." He prepared to stand up, but immediately paused when he heard Levy's quiet voice.

"Mister? What is a brat?" she asked without looking at him. Her longs bangs were covering her eyes.

Levi, at first, was unaware of the danger of answering this question, so he replied right away. "Well, brats are annoying little kids in the first place. Why did you ask?" Levi let his words trail off. Marcus had called Levy a brat. "I see... Don't listen to him, understood, little one? You're not a brat just because that_ shitface_ called you one."

He paused. Levy's bangs were still covering her eyes because she refused to lift her head. Levi reached out for her – but she suddenly pushed him back. His eyes widened at her sudden, harsh reaction. "Levy...?"

"But _you_ called me a brat, too."

Levi's stared at her in shock. "You heard me..." he realized sadly.

Levy suddenly burst into tears. "You called me a brat and you said you didn't like me and I thought you were happier if I was gone, Mister! And then I ran away because I wanted you to be happy and then...!" Her voice cracked as cascades of tears streamed down her face.

Levi watched her with trembling eyes. _She wanted me to be... happy?_ He tried to calm down the crying girl. "Levy. Shhh, Levy, calm down. Shh, shh, shh, it's okay, Levy. It's okay. Listen to me. Look at me."

He sighed when she finally did so. For the first time in his life, he actually felt the urge to punch himself. He hated himself like never before in his life. He had been angry, had said things he had never meant to say... and Levy had heard it all. No more lies – he would finally tell her of his feelings.

"Levy... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

He cupped her face in his hands and gently rubbed his thumbs over her wet cheeks before he sat down on the ground beside her. He was very well aware of the dirt on the ground, but it didn't matter – there were things worse than dirt.

"I'm sorry, Levy. Listen... You are very young – maybe too young to understand, but I will try to explain it." He took a deep breath before he continued. "Sometimes, adults do not think before they speak. Sometimes, they allow themselves to be controlled by their feelings and say things they never meant to say or do things they never meant to do. And what you heard... was just the same with me. I was angry," Levi explained.

"With me?" Levy asked sadly.

"No, it wasn't your fault at all. I was angry at myself. Angry because I couldn't bring myself to accept my feelings. Angry because I was being so mean toward you." He paused for a short moment, staring deep into Levy's eyes. "And angry because I thought I wasn't good enough to take care of you. I thought it would be better for you to live with someone who could _really_ make you happy. My problem is that I don't like people to get too close to me and often try to keep them away – but I'm still human. I have feelings just like everyone else. I can be hurt, offended, appalled or happy, too."

He waited a few moments. Levy was in deep thought, processing everything Levi had just said. He waited patiently. This time, the girl would get all the time she needed. She was young; she needed time to understand. Then she finally looked up at him again.

"And what I said isn't true. Not at all. I really do like you. I just... couldn't bring myself to accept or admit it until Hanji threw it right in my face. She was right. And you don't deserve someone who is kicking you around like I do... And about the brat – I really didn't mean it. The truth is, I call everyone a brat – especially people I actually like or highly respect..." He paused and looked at Levy. "Levy? What's wrong?" Levi scooted around so he sat in front of her.

The little girl had started crying again. "But... you already make me happy, Mister..." she sobbed, causing his eyes to widen. "Do you... like me?"

Levi leaned in closer and gently wiped away her tears. He felt a strange sensation inside his heart; a sensation he's never felt before, but he didn't have to think for long to know what this feeling was... It was sympathy. No, not simple sympathy... He had grown fond of Levy. To him, she was already a family; he felt as if she had been part of him all along. Never had anyone managed to make him feel that way.

Eren had been the first one Levi had come to like as a person because he accepted Levi the way he was and wasn't afraid of him – and now there was this little girl named Leviana who helped him to not feel so... empty. In fact, Levy was the one who had brought him back something he thought he'd lost. She had stirred up _something buried deep inside him_...

Levi's gaze softened and he gave Levy the most gentle smile he had ever offered to anyone. "Yes. I like you. More than you can imagine," he whispered softly, gently stroking her head.

He felt the little girl shaking from her sobs as she snuggled up to him. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close as possible to him – this time without any hesitation. She buried her face in his chest as he gently cradled her in his arms and simply held her, his chin resting atop her head, until she was calm again.

He looked at her. "Let's head back home, shall we?" he asked. _Home... Yes, this is my home... This is our all home._

Levy rubbed her eyes and nodded, happily smiling at him.

He stood up and gently scooped her up in his strong arms, grabbing the shopping bags with his free hand. He sighed in satisfaction upon feeling how Levy snuggled up to him once again; quite the contrary to how tense she had always been around him. Since she had her head buried in the crook of his neck, he could feel her warm breath against his soft skin. He welcomed the comfortable feeling of the warmth radiating from her small body.

"Mister?" she said after a while, her warm breath tickling his skin. She lifted her head from his neck. "What's a foster family?" she asked, curiously blinking her big eyes.

Levi tensed. _How can I explain that to her...? _He took a deep breath. "Foster families are families that take care of children like you – children who lost their own families."

"But I have a family now," the girl replied in an adorable voice that made Levi smile.

"Yes, but I can't be there for you all the time," he responded sadly. _Shit... She really got to me..._ "I'm a soldier. I have to protect humanity. I can't stay with you all the time."

The girl's face fell; she seemed to exactly understand what he was implying. "But... Mister..."

Levi gave her a sad look. "Let's not talk about this right now, kid. Let's just enjoy the time we can spend together. I will tell Hanji to wait just a little longer. Okay?" he spoke with a gentle smile, watching the girl nod and smile back, even if only weakly. "Good. And now let's head home and eat something. I will draw in a bath for you later."

Said and done. Now Levy was sitting in his office, fresh, clean and with a filled stomach. He watched her with a gentle smile. She was lying on the ground, skimming through a book he had given to her. It was an old fairy tale storybook; Hanji had brought him this from the old library and since he knew that Levy was able to read already he decided it to be a good pastime for her.

After a while, he leaned back in his chair. He sighed and closed his eyes, only to open them again upon hearing Levy shuffle. He noticed her watching him. "What is it, little one?" he asked.

She didn't answer. Instead, she stood up and pulled an uncomfortable face. He watched as she walked over to the couch and reached underneath it to drag forth the bag she had been hiding. She wrapped her arms around it and stood there, hesitantly looking at Levi.

He understood. "You want to show me something?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in question.

She nodded, nervously bouncing from one foot to the other.

He smirked at her shyness and waved her over with his index finger. "Then come here." He saw her shaking her head. "Tch, still afraid of me?" He laughed. "Come on, it's okay. I won't bite you." He watched as she finally came closer. She walked around the desk and reached into the bag to pull something out. She held out her hands for him to take it. "Is that for me?" Levi questioned, giving her a surprised look.

She nodded again, now standing right next to him, placing her hands on his chair's arm rest. He took the something out of her hands. It was a small blue casket, ornated with golden markings and a treble-clef-shaped lock. A crystal-shaped piece of glass was embedded in the lid and had petals molded inside. He felt the little girl watching him tensely while he inspected the casket thoroughly, looking at it from all angles and opening it. Its interior was made of red, velvet-like material, ready to safely store whatever the casket's owner meant to put in it.

"It's a keepsake box," the little girl explained, causing Levi to look up at her. "My mommy called them 'keepsake boxes'. She put all kinds of secrets in there. I thought you should have one, too."

Levi smiled warmly. "I see. Thank you," he said, patting her head.

"Mommy had lots of them. She sometimes even put some small books in them. She said those were her secret books and she didn't want me to read in them." Levy blinked a few times with her brown eyes.

Levi thought for a moment, but then he understood. "You mean diaries?"

Levy gave him a puzzled look. "Like the disease?"

Levi was caught off guard by that. "What...?" Now it was _his_ turn to give _her_ a puzzled look.

Levy blushed a bit; she had never blushed before and he actually thought it to be cute. "I thought it's a disease... Mommy sometimes had it and she had to go to the bathroom all the time..."

Levi blinked a few times until he finally realized what she meant. She had mixed up the two words _diary_ and _diarrhea_.

Suddenly, a strange sound escaped his throat that sounded like a surprised grunt. His lips started trembling and he chuckled. Soon, he wasn't able to hold back this strange feeling inside him anymore. It took a moment for him to realize that actually felt the urge to laugh. Only moments later, he burst into laughter. This obviously scared Levy and she backed away, looking down with an awkward expression on her face. His belly already hurt, but he couldn't stop himself from laughing.

After a while, he finally calmed down, taking a deep breath. He watched Levy coming closer again. _So cute_, Levi thought. _Too damn cute..._ He just realized he hadn't laughed in years. "That's disgusting." He grimaced. "No, I didn't mean diarrhea. I meant a diary," he explained.

Levy blushed again and looked down, obviously feeling ashamed. "What's a diary?"

He smiled again. "Well... A diary is a special book where you can write down all your thoughts, feelings, wishes, everything you feel and think at the moment. It's like a notebook, but it's only meant for you," he explained, his voice with a warm tone to it. "Understand, little one?"

Levy nodded and made a thoughtful face. "Where can I get a d-dia...ry?" she stammered, trying to not mix up the two words again.

Levi chuckled. "Why? You want one?" He watched the girl nod. "We should be able to get one at the stationery shop."

"Will it cost something?" Levy asked.

Levi nodded. "Yes. You have to pay for almost _everything_ these days – there's hardly anything you get for free." He frowned. "I need to get a few things done, but we can go to town afterwards and buy a diary for you if you want to," he added, smiling.

The little girl nodded.

"By the way," Levi began, "where did you get the money anyway?" He cocked his eyebrows at her.

She looked down as though she felt bad. "Mister Eren gave it to me..."

Levi laughed. "I see." _So, Eren did all this, huh?_

"Mister Levi, can I play with Mister Eren?" she asked.

"You don't have to call me 'Mister' all the time – it's just Levi, okay?" He watched her nod. "Well, then. Go ahead." He laughed as Levy ran out the office.

However, an hour had passed soon and he had already finished his paperworks. He was starting to wonder where she could have gone when the door to his office opened and Eren came in, gently putting Levy down.

"I'm bringing her back, sir," the brunet said with a smile before he prepared to quickly leave again.

"Eren! Wait," Levi said, standing up.

"Sir?" Eren asked, blinking in surprise.

Levi stood directly in front of him. "I'm sorry..." he said, his gaze turning sad.

Eren gave him a puzzled expression. "Sir...?"

"I said some mean things. I'm sorry," Levi said honestly.

Eren smiled warmly. "That's okay, sir. Actually, I didn't really feel insulted – I knew you didn't mean it."

"You did?" Levi deadpanned. "By the way... _You_ bought this casket for her, right?" He pointed to the casket on his desk.

Eren threw his hands up in defense. "Uh... no! No! I only gave her the money – she picked it and bought it!"

Levi appeasingly lifted his hand. "Oi, calm down. It's okay." He returned to his chair, smiling faintly. "Thank you," he added. "Dismissed, Jaeger."

Eren gave him a salute. He was practically grinning from ear to ear when he left the office.

Levy finally ran toward Levi and happily held out her hands to him. She was holding a small book. "It's for you, Mister."

Levi's eyes widened in realization. "Wait... You wanted to buy a diary... for _me_?" he questioned. "Why?"

Levy suddenly gave Levi a sad look. "I thought you need one," she said quietly, causing Levi to shoot her a reassuring glance. He noticed that she didn't speak of him in third person this time. "You are so sad, Mister... I thought it would be good for you to have a diary..."

Levi's eyes lit up. "What makes you think I'm sad?"

Levy walked around his desk and took the photo that was standing on his desk. His eyes flickered with sadness as he understood what Levy was implying. It was photo that had been taken long ago; a photo showing him together with his deceased old squad consisting of Auruo, Petra, Eld and Gunther. Levy must have noticed him staring at this photo. Every time he looked at it he could feel the pain inside his heart; he felt so guilty...

Levy walked over to him. "You always look at this and become so sad. I wanted to help you... and I thought you could write everything down if you don't want to talk to anyone. The others don't help you... Why?"

Levi gave her a sad look. "I don't really know... I think they're scared of me."

"Why?" Levy asked sadly.

Levi shrugged. "I think it's my own fault. I don't let them close to me. But it's not important – I can handle myself. They don't have to help me."

Levy stared at him with her big, trembling eyes. They were filled with so much sadness. "You feel lonely, Mister... don't you?" she finally said.

Levi's eyes widened. This little girl... had just expressed exactly what he had felt all these years. All these years, he had built a barrier around himself, swearing to not let anyone close to him to avoid getting involved with people and making things complicated. However, this barrier had made him lonely. It caused others to get intimidated by him or even be afraid of him; even Levy had been afraid of him – but she had dared to cross this barrier. She hadn't allowed herself to be deterred by his cold demeanor.

He heard Levy rustling as she walked closer. Suddenly, he felt her small hand stroking his head. She leaned herself against him, obviously trying to comfort him. "I was sad and lonely too, Mister... but now I'm not anymore. And you don't have to either. Now we have each other, Mister," she whispered.

Levi leaned into her touch for a while before he finally stood up from his chair to squat down in front of the little girl. He stared at her with trembling eyes for a while. Then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as tightly as possible. He could feel Levy tense under his touch; she obviously was surprised by his action.

Levi pressed her close to him until she finally relaxed. "Did I really call you a brat?" he whispered into her hair. "I was wrong. You're not a brat. You're such a good girl. You never ask for anything, even though you have every right to do so. You are never mean, impolite or rude, even when people are treating you like garbage. You are always there to help, always there to keep me company." He stroke her head. "Such a good girl," he repeated.

He buried his face in her hair, sighing in relief as he felt Levy wrapping her arms around his neck as she stroke his head again – just like he had done with her all the time. Levy and Levi sat there for a while, simply enjoying the comfort they offered each other before Levi finally released Levy to look at the clock.

"It's getting late. We should go to sleep."

A few minutes later, he sat on his bed, watching as Levy came out of the bathroom. She was wearing the nightwear the dressmaker in town had made of Eren's old clothes. It consisted of a white shirt, now adorned with ruffles and a black waistband and a pair of black shorts. She was wearing a pair of black overknee stockings to keep her legs warm.

He watched as she prepared to climb the couch as a thought crossed his mind. He smiled. "Levy." She turned around. "Come here. You can sleep with me... if you want to."

It took a moment for Levy to realize what Levi had just said, but then she nodded and smiled brightly, scurrying over to him. She climbed in – but she stayed on the other side of the bed, pulling an uncomfortable face.

Levi understood; she felt uneasy, but she wanted to be close to him. Smiling, he patted the free spot beside him. "You can come closer. It's okay. I don't mind," he assured her, but she still hesitated. "I won't bite you."

She finally slid a bit closer, not too close, but close enough to not fall off the edge and to share the blanket with him. She lied down, allowing him to cover her with his blanket. "Good night, Mister," she whispered.

He sighed in relief and turned to the side. "Good night... Levy."

_**A/N: Sorry, if this chapter was a bit cheesy... So, Levi finally admitted that he likes Levy. As always, review, fav and follow and tell me all your thoughts. It will be getting dramatic in the next and last chapter. How will Levi decide? Will he keep Levy with him? Or will he return to his old ways and deny his feelings and experiences again?**_


	5. Chapter 5: A Hard Decision

**Chapter 5: A Hard Decision**

_**A/N: And here it is, the final chapter of the first part of Something Buried Deep Inside! The clock is ticking, time is running out – how will Levi decide?**_

Levi awoke with the first ray of sunlight bathing his bedroom in a warm, golden glow. He blinked a few times, squinting to get used to the light. He felt someone gently nugding him. Groaning, he turned to his side to find Levy awake already. She had pulled her part of the blanket up to her nose, snuggling into it.

"Already up, little one?" he asked sleepily.

He froze. Something was wrong. She was shaking heavily. He propped himself up on his arm to get a better look on her. She was looking at him helplessly and her eyes seemed empty and glassy. Her normally pale brown skin was almost white and her cheeks were slightly reddened. Her face was sweaty, with single strands of her hair sticking to it, and her chest was heaving with her fast-paced breathing. He carefully reached under the covers to take her cold hand before he let his hand wander to her forehead, gently touching it to feel her temperature – she was burning.

His eyes widened in shock. "You're sick, kid." He wrapped the covers around her tightly and jumped up. "Stay here. I'll be right back." He quickly changed his clothes and called down the hallway, not caring if he would wake anyone up. "Hanji! Hanji, come here! Quickly!"

The door next to him opened and out came Eren, sleepily rubbing his eyes. "Corporal? Is it time to wake up already?" he asked, yawning loudly.

Levi actually felt bad for waking up _Eren_; Eren had had quite a lot of things to do the last few days, like taking care of Levy, training, transforming for Hanji's experiments – the boy deserved some sleep. "I'm sorry, Eren. I didn't mean to wake you up," he replied honestly.

Eren's eyes snapped wide open; he seemed to sense that something was off. "What's wrong, sir?" he questioned worriedly.

"Fuck it, I'm going to get her myself... Eren, I'm sorry... Stay here. I have to get Hanji. Levy's sick," Levi explained, causing Eren to shoot him an anxious look.

"Where is she?" the brunet asked.

Levi pointed behind him. "She's in my room."

Eren's face flushed. "In your room?! But..."

Levi pulled an irritated face. "Tch, don't be so nervous, you brat. You have my permission to enter this room. Just make sure Levy stays warm." He frowned. " And don't dirty up my room," he added, sharply.

Eren saluted. "Yes, sir!" He quickly shuffled by into Levi's bedroom. "Levy?" he said, watching the girl flinch. "It's okay, it's me." He sat down beside her on the bed.

"Where's Mister Levi?" Levy asked quietly. Her voice sounded so weak.

"Don't worry. He's going to get you some medicine," Eren replied, smiling warmly.

Levi went to the town's pharmacy to get Levy some medicine to reduce her fever before he went to the mess hall's kitchen to make her some chicken broth. When he returned Eren was still sitting on his bed, quickly standing up when he noticed his superior entering.

"Uh, welcome back, sir! I was just...!" he started.

Levi raised his free hand that wasn't supporting the bowl with the chicken broth. "At ease, Eren." He noticed that Eren was still wearing his nightwear consisting of a simple white shirt and shorts. "The headquarters' pharmacy is closed already, so I had to get some medicine for her in town. Thank you, Eren. You can leave now."

Eren nodded and returned to his room.

"Levy? How do you feel?" Levi asked worriedly, placing the bowl on his nightstand.

Levy moved a bit. "It's cold, Mister..." she whispered weakly.

Levi sat down beside her. "It will be warmer soon. Are you hungry?"

He watched her nod. He reached out for the bowl and spooned up some soup, blowing to cool it for her to eat. The little girl tried to sit up, but she was too weak. Levi arranged the pillows to support her back and carefully moved the spoon toward her. She gave him a suspicious look.

"Open your mouth. It's okay. I'll feed you," he said gently.

And so she opened her mouth like a little bird in expect of food from its mother. He chuckled softly before he started feeding her. After she had finished she fell asleep again. He sat beside her for the whole day. Every now and then Eren or Hanji came in to look after Levy, every now and then he got something to eat or drink for her or made sure she took her medicine.

With all the people caring for her, Levy had recovered from her fever and cold within a couple of days.

* * *

Levi's workflow was interrupted by a loud commotion coming from the courtyard. He stood up and looked out the window, feeling his jaw tighten immediately. The thugs were back, but this time, Eren was fighting them. He had pinned one of them down, repeatedly trying to land a punch on said thug's face while the latter was lying helplessly on the ground with Eren on top of him.

But Eren wasn't alone. Annie and Jean had come to his aid; they were fighting the two remaining thugs. However, Marcus, their leader, was nowhere to be seen.

Levi grunted before he stormed out his office, quickly making his way to the courtyard. The fight was in full swing; Eren was still trying to land some blows on the thug he had pinned down and this time, he was successful. Annie was currently twisting one thug's arm back while Jean pinned the other one against the wall.

Levi stormed forward to grab hold of Eren's wrists. "That's enough, Eren," he said gently. "I think they got it now. What happened anyway?"

Eren let his arms drop to his sides and stood up, shooting the thug on the ground a warning glare. "They tried to hurt Levy," the brunet said sharply, causing Levi's gaze to narrow.

Levi looked around to find Levy standing behind a small bench, hiding – with Marcus slowly approaching her.

And that was it.

Levi stomped toward the little girl, quickly pulling her out of harm's way, protectively wrapping his arms around her. "Eren," Levi began, his sharp gaze focused on Marcus, "take Levy inside. I'll take care of this _myself_."

He waited until Eren and the others had vanished with Levy in tow.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he finally said before storming toward.

Soon, Levi was brutally beating up Marcus, repeatedly stomping and kicking his head before he finally let go. Marcus was a bloody mess, just like Eren had been back then. He moved weakly, spitting blood all over the ground.

"This is just my opinion, but I think pain is the best tool for discipline. You've fallen low enough to be easily kicked around, anyway." He lifted his leg and was about to kick Marcuse again, but he refrained himself.

He watched as the other thugs who had just watched him in shock tried to pull Marcus to his feet when he noticed someone watching him. He turned around, his eyes widenening almost immediately. Levy was standing far behind him, next to a bench – and she looked frightened.

"Levy..." he whispered, but she backed away before running off. "No! Levy, wait! This isn't... Shit!" he cursed under his breath.

Marcus snickered weakly. "Wow, shorty... You surely have a knack for kids..."

"Tch..." Levi kicked him in the face as hard as possible. "Leave – and never, _never_ come back again! This is my last warning!" he shouted before running after the frightened little girl.

He ran through the corridors of the HQ, calling down the hallways, looking inside every room and corner he suspected the little girl. He even searched his room – but she wasn't there either. He wiped his hand over his face, trying to calm himself down, before he decided to return to his office. He opened the door – and found what he had been looking for.

"Levy…" he whispered, watching the girl cowering beneath the couch she had always slept on. He took two careful steps toward her, noticing how she shook her head vigorously, causing him to halt in his movements. He gave her a sad look. "Levy… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

The little girl shifted nervously, trying to make herself as small as possible. Silent tears of fear were running down her cheeks, but she kept quiet. He watched her with somber eyes, watched as she shook from her now audible sobs. Finally, the uneasiness became too much for her to bear and she ran by him, storming out the opened door, crying aloud.

"Levy, no! Please wait! I'm not going to hurt you!"

Levi's eyes widened in shock and he ran after her. The chase came to a stop when he reached the backyard where he found Hanji and Eren. Levy was clinging to the latter's leg, trying to hide behind him.

"Levy, please... It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. It's me... Please trust me..." Levi begged, attempting to calm down the terrified girl – but to no avail.

"Levi..." Hanji began, carefully, hesitantly. "She's afraid of you."

Levi's eyes widened and started trembling. Defeated, he finally dropped his hands. He felt as though someone had just ripped his heart out. He had lost the little girl. He had lost Levy.

Eren regarded his superior with a sad look in his eyes. He had never seen him so desperate.

"Levi..." Hanji walked over toward Levi to put a hand on his shoulder. "Give her time." She remained silent for a while before she spoke again. "What happened?"

Levi didn't answer. He rather watched the little girl still clinging to Eren's leg and immediately felt reminded of the moment when she had clung to _his_ leg in order to hide from _Eren_. This time, their roles were opposite. This time, _Levi_ was the monster Levy was afraid of...

Shocked at this realization, he took a step back. And another one. And another one... until he ran off. He ran off, back to his office, angrily and sadly slamming the door shut. He sat down on his chair, resting his head on his arms settled on the desk, trying to calm himself down once again.

Hanji entered shortly after, shortly pulling him out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Levi, but... there's a problem... Levy should probably sleep somewhere else tonight. Maybe in Eren's room, so she won't be alone."

Levi didn't answer. He nodded his head once, and rather slowly. He didn't know what to think or do – he just felt empty and tired. So he decided to go to sleep early.

And indeed – Levy didn't sleep in his room. Levi turned to the side, watching the now empty spot next to him. He already missed the comfortable warmth Levy had offered him. He missed the sound of her quiet breathing. In fact, he missed everything in this little girl and although she was practically in the room next to him and still here and the events were quite recent – he felt as if she was miles away, unreachable for him.

His thoughts raced as he finally managed to close his eyes for at least a while.

* * *

It's been a week since Levy had turned her back on Levi – and it still hurt him. She was sticking to Eren and Hanji now. Every time he walked by her she would give him a frightened look and run away or jump behind Eren when said boy was close. This hurt Levi more than anyone could imagine.

Levi sat in his office, absorbed in his thoughts.

"Good morning, Levi," Hanji said somberly upon entering. She held some papers in her hands. "I'm sorry for bringing bad news to you, but... we found a foster family."

Levi's head snapped up.

Hanji gave him a sad look. "Yes... It's rather only a foster _mother_ desperately looking for a child to take care of. She can take Levy by the day after tomorrow or the day after that. She leaves that to us."

Levi sat there for a moment until he finally realized what that meant. Levy would soon be taken away from him – and he wouldn't even be able to say goodbye to her if he didn't do anything.

"Thank you, Hanji," Levi said plainly, without any emotion in his voice, watching the brunette turning to leave. "Wait."

Hanji turned around. "Yes?"

Levi stood up. "I need to talk to Levy," he said.

Hanji's eyes grew wide. "Levi..."

"Hanji, please. At least let me say goodbye... before I lose her forever..." Levi's expression turned sad, causing Hanji's eyes to light up in realization. "I thought you wanted us to get along."

"I see..." Her eyes trembled. "You're right!" she suddenly shouted, clapping her hands. Hanji lead him to her office. "I'll wait outside. Be careful. She's frightened. Give her time and room to escape if she feels threatened," Hanji told him with a serious expression.

Levi nodded. "I know, Hanji." He put a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I know..."

Hanji opened the door and waited until Levi had entered before closing it again.

Levi heard the lock clicking and carefully looked around the office. It actually looked like his own, though smaller and a bit more chaotic – papers were scattered everywhere.

He knew Levy was hiding and he had no intention of causing her to feel uneasy, so he would leave her there.

"Levy..." he said, his eyes filling with sadness. "I know you're here, but I won't force you to come out. I'm not going to stay long. I just want you to listen to me." He sighed before going on. "I know you're afraid of me, Levy – but I would never hurt you. I want you to know that. Never."

He remained silent for a while as if hoping for Levy to say something. But she didn't. Of course she didn't.

"I don't know what else to say, Levy... I'm going to leave you alone now. But know that I'm always here if you need me."

And with that, he left, leaving the little girl behind in Hanji's office. He did not see how she left her hiding place and reached out for him.

"Levi?" said brunette asked. "You okay?"

Levi didn't answer. He gave her a sad look and put a hand on her shoulder before turning to leave.

"WAIT!" she suddenly yelled, causing Levi to give her a surprised and annoyed look. "Idea!" she whispered excitedly. She shoved him down the hallway. "I'm going to get Eren. We'll meet at your office!" she called, disappearing into the other direction.

Levi watched her suspiciously before walking back to his office, waiting for Hanji. Said brunette entered shortly after with Eren in tow.

"Okay, gentlemen, sit down. I know what we're going to do," she said before grabbing one of the chairs in front of Levi's desk.

Eren sat down on the other one while Levi took his own behind his desk.

"Okay, shit-glasses. What's this all about?" Levi asked with an irritated expression.

Hanji adjusted her glasses. "You want to say goodbye to Levy. We'll _force_ her to trust you again," she said with a serious expression.

"WHAT?!" Eren and Levi looked at her, shocked, indignant.

"There is no other way. The foster mother will be arriving by tomorrow evening," Hanji told Levi.

Levi understood and nodded.

Hanji turned to Eren. "Eren, we'll tell Levy that you are sick and I have to take care of you, so that she will have to sleep in Levi's room. Right?"

At first, Eren looked at her with a puzzled expression before finally his eyes lit up in realization and he nodded his head vigorously.

Hanji gave him a wide smile and then looked at Levi. "Well?"

Levi gave her a hopeful expression. Of course, this was not the proper way to go about things, but still... maybe this was his only way to get close to Levy. He wiped his hand over his face and sighed noisily before he finally nodded.

Hanji clapped her hands and jumped up. "Alright!" she shouted, grabbing Eren and pulling him with her. "We need to set you up. Otherwise, Levy won't believe our trick."

* * *

Later, in the evening, Levi was lying in his bed, reading his book. He had just readied himself for bed. He had decided to ignore Levy as good as possible to give her time to observe and trust him again. He would try and not get too close to her, so she won't feel threatened.

When Hanji entered with Levy, he gave said woman a quick nod and turned back to his book. It seemed to work; the little girl dared to enter and lied down pretty quick, though casting him a few anxious looks. He noticed that, but he didn't react to it. So the little one fell asleep.

But not for long.

Soon, Levi heard Levy whimpering and weeping in her sleep, tossing and turning, throwing herself from one side to the other.

"Levy?" Levi asked worriedly, watching her jump up with a loud gasp. "Levy?" he asked again.

He watched the little girl flinch.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently. He put his book aside and stood up to walk over to her, slowly, carefully. "Shhh... It's okay," he whispered calmingly as the girl wept quietly. She started squirming, so he halted in his movements. "Alright. I'm going to stay right here – I won't come closer." He squatted down.

Levy made herself as small as possible, still shaking heavily. She watched Levi suspiciously.

He carefully raised his hand, only to have her flinch, so he withdrew it, watching as she backed away and curled herself up against the backrest.

"It's okay," he said gently. His eyes widened as she started sobbing and spilling tears. "Shhh... No, no, it's okay, it's okay, Levy. I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered calmingly. "It's okay."

Levy shook her head vigorously. "Please don't hurt me, Mister Levi! I was a good girl!" she begged.

"What...?" He gave her a confused look. "No, no, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Please, Mister!" she begged again, frantically reaching out and pulling at his shirt's sleeve. "Please..."

His gaze turned sad. "What makes you think I want to hurt you?"

Tears were streaming down Levy's cheeks. "You hurt that man, Mister! Because he did something bad! But I was a good girl! Please don't hurt me, Mister! I don't want Mister to hurt me!"

Levi understood and felt his heart clench. It was all beginning to make sense now. The way she had always flinched when he had said her name. The way she had always avoided his touch, especially when he had helped her in the bathroom. The way she had always tried to not make him angry or annoy him.

"What happened to you, Levy?" he asked with a serious expression. "Who hurt you?"

Levy looked up and stared at him with her big, brown eyes. Levi stood up, to sit down beside her. She flinched and backed away.

"Levy... Do you really think I would hurt you?" he asked seriously.

The little girl didn't answer, but rather kept on shaking.

"I would never hurt you," Levi replied honestly. His voice had a hint of sadness in it. "Never. I couldn't..." He reached out for her again, but she further backed away, making herself even smaller than she already was – however, he did not give up that easily. "Levy, I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered, carefully putting a hand on her bent leg.

And this time, she accepted his touch, even though only half-heartedly. He sighed in relief.

"And now," he spoke, "tell me who hurt you. What happened to you?"

The little girl bursted into tears. "Uncle always hurt me! He always said I was a bad girl! He loved my mommy... but Mommy didn't love him. She loved Daddy. But Daddy died after my fourth birthday. And Uncle lived with us and he always hurt me... He said I was a bad girl... Mommy tried to protect me, but he hurt her, too! But now Mommy and Daddy are together again... but I was alone... and then I found you, Mister... I always tried to be a good girl, Mister Levi!"

Levi's eyes had started trembling as they filled with sadness. "I know, Levy... I know." He felt anger rise up in him. How could someone possibly do this to a child?

"But then this bad man came and you hurt him! And... and... I thought you would hurt me, too!" she managed to say before her voice cracked and the tears streamed down her face in waterfalls.

Levi couldn't bear with her desperate sight. He carefully wrapped his arms around her, sighing in relief as she accepted his touch once more and snuggled herself up to him, burying her face in his chest.

"Levy," he began. "You are not a bad girl – you're a good girl. But I would never, never do that to you, no matter if you are naughty or nice. There are some borders in this world that shouldn't be crossed." He gently pushed her away to cup her face in his hands. "I hurt Marcus because he hurt dozens of other people, including Eren and you – but I would never hurt _you_. You're a kid and you're not evil. So don't be scared."

Levy nodded and gave him a small smile.

He looked at her, seriously. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked.

Levy didn't hesitate – she immediately shook her head firmly.

He gently brushed his thumbs across her cheeks to wipe away her tears before he pulled her close again. He held her until she was calm again. A relieved smile spread across his face. She trusted him again. He hadn't lost her. However, his smile soon disappeared when he thought of tomorrow. He still had to tell Levy the truth.

But not now. Now she deserved some sleep.

He scooped her up in his arms and walked over to his bed, gently draping her on the matress, before climbing in himself. He pulled the covers over him and Levy's small body. He felt Levy move toward him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"Are you sleepy? Of course you are." He turned to the side, using one arm to support his head and the other to pull Levy close. "Good night, Levy."

* * *

The next day started with a crappy feeling – the feeling of imminent loss.

Levi lay there, watching Levy's sleeping figure. She had still wrapped her arms around his torso, lying close to him. He knew she would soon wake up anyway, so he let her sleep until then. He simply tried to enjoy the comfort she offered him for as long as possible. Soon, she would be ripped away from him – forever... And he would never be able to see her again.

He felt Levy move and tensed. "Good morning," he said to her, watching as she sleepily rubbed her eyes with her small hands. A smile tugged at his lips. _Cute_, he thought.

Levy smiled at him widely, but her smile disappeared. She seemed to sense his mood. There was no denying it. He would get right to the point to not make it too difficult for him and her.

"There is something I need to tell you, Levy..." He took a deep breath. "Remember when you asked me what a foster family was?"

The little girl thought for a moment, but then slowly nodded.

He exhaled sharply. "I told you we won't be able to stay together forever and that I have to go out for missions... And today is the day where we have to say goodbye."

Levy's eyes widened in fear and she tugged at Levi's sleeve.

"A woman is going to take you under her wing. She will be arriving today," he said in a monotone voice. He felt Levy clinging to him, but before she could fasten her grip he stood up.

"Mister... no!" Levy shook her head vigorously, trying to grab onto Levi's shirt.

Levi roughly shoved her away and stood up. "Levy, we don't have time for this. Get ready." He sounded more sharply than he had intended.

Levy was crying now. "Mister... please!" She tried to follow him, but he was faster.

Levi tried not to look at Levy. He didn't want her to see his face, nor did he want to see her crying one. "I'm sorry," he said before he walked out and closed the door behind him.

For a moment, there was only silence. He heard Levy crying behind the door – muffled, as if she was burying her face into a pillow.

He slumped down, putting a hand over his face, feeling his body trembling from the rising feeling inside him. It took a moment for him to realize that this was upright sadness. He felt something hot and wet slide down his cheeks. He brought a hand to his face, covering it. For the first time in his life, he was _crying_. He was actually crying. He didn't care anymore. His shoulders were shaking from his loud sobs and he did not even try to muffle them.

He sat there for at least fifteen minutes until he heard someone apporaching him.

"Sir?" a familiar voice asked.

"FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" he yelled at whoever it had been, immediately regretting it.

"I... I'm sorry, Captain Levi, sir!"

His head jerked up to look at Eren who was about to hastily leave. "Wait!"

Eren stopped.

He looked at him somberly. "I'm sorry... Don't leave. Please..." He had always liked Eren because Eren respected and understood him in a way other didn't or couldn't.

Eren gave him a gentle smile. "It's okay. I understand." The brunet offered his superior a hand which the latter gladly accepted and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Levi? You okay?" Hanji had appeared behind Eren, staring at Levi with a serious expression on her face.

Levi didn't reply to that. "Get Levy ready."

Hanji nodded and took the still crying girl with her. "Come on, it won't be as bad as you might think. We're going to get you dressed now and then we'll meet your new mom."

Levi was about to enter his room when he noticed how Eren tried to leave. "Wait, Eren," he said, causing said boy to look at him. "Could you do me a favor?"

Eren nodded.

"Don't leave."

Eren gave him a confused look.

"This might sound strange, but I don't care. Just... stay with me. Don't leave."

Levi had his gaze averted. He didn't want Eren to think that he had romantic feelings for him – it was just that he felt like Eren was the only one who could offer him comfort. And he was the only one in whose presence he didn't feel too embarrassed to cry or show weakness.

Eren who had tensed at first was now relaxing again. "Of course, sir," he said, obviously knowing how his superior felt.

So Eren stuck with Levi, keeping him company as long as Levy was being readied by Hanji. Levi now sat in his office, thoughfully staring at the casket Levy had given to him as a gift. He reached out to touch it, gently brushing his fingers over its smooth surface. His hand wandered to his desk drawer. He pulled out the diary and held it close to his heart. Again, tears welled up in his eyes – but this time, he didn't allow them to spill over.

"Sir? Do you want me to...?" Eren started, but Levi shook his head.

"No," he said firmly, shaking his head to clear his thoughts again.

All the while, Eren was watching him sadly. Levi knew he felt the same pain as he did; he had grown fond of Levy just as much as he had. They simply sat there in silence; there was no need for words at the moment.

"Levi." Hanji had entered the room.

Levi looked up.

"It's time."

* * *

Levi stood with Levy, Hanji, Eren and Moblit, Hanji's assistant as they waited for the foster mother to arrive at the crowded market place. Levy was holding his hand; she was quiet, just like him. No – like _all_ of them. Eren was standing at his side, offering him comfort once more. Levi looked down at Levy. She had an empty, tired expression on her face. She was wearing the same golden-yellowish dress she had worn on the day he had found her, adding much to his pain. Her hair was tied to a loose ponytail. He watched her for a while until he heard a carriage arrive.

The woman getting out was – to be honest – a tarted-up bimbo. About thirty years old, with a parasol in her hand, light brown hair tied to a perfect bun, face covered in heavy makeup, wearing her nicest dress and shoes. She gave the poorer people around her a condescending look, arrogantly striding toward Levi and the others. Her scarlet colored lips formed a smile when she discovered Levy.

Levi and the others looked at each other. And _this_ was Levy's future foster mother?

_What the fuck was Hanji thinking?!_, Levi griped in his thoughts, but he refrained himself. _On the other hand... how should she have known about that woman?_ He felt doubt rise in him, but he ignored it.

"Ahhh, this must be my pretty little flower! Let your mommy take a look at you!" she yelled happily, kissing Levy all over her face. Finally, she turned her attention to Levi and the others. She gave Levi a strange look, reaching into her neckline to pull out a purse. She held it out to Levi. "Here. This should be enough."

Levi cast her an angry look. Paying for a little girl? "Normally people introduce themselves when they first meet," he said sharply.

"Of course, where are my manners? Agnes Milford. And you are?" she said.

"Levi," Levi answered bluntly.

"It's an honor. Well, let's go then," she said, grabbing Levy's arm.

"No. I will say goodbye to her."

Levi squatted down to Levy. To be honest, he didn't like the thought of leaving Levy in that woman's care – but what else could he do?

"It's time, little one," he said. He felt the tightness in his chest once again, but this time, he would not allow his feelings to control him. He pulled Levy close to him as the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck. "Be a good girl, Levy," he deadpanned somberly. "I will miss you... Don't forget me." He tried to part from her, but she wouldn't let him. "Levy?"

She was shaking. "Don't leave me, Mister Levi... I don't want to be alone... Please... Please, Mister!" She looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

Levi pried her away from him. "We don't have time for this, Levy. Just leave now," he griped, only to make things easier for him.

"No!" she screamed, as Agnes grabbed her arm.

"We don't have time, honey! Say goodbye to your friends now!" She dragged the girl with her.

Levi turned away from them, slowly walking away as Levy was taken by that woman named Agnes. He felt doubt rise in him once again. Was this really the right decision? He didn't know that woman, but from what he saw he suspected she suffocate Levy with love – or not? No. She surely would not? Why didn't he react, then? Why didn't he snatch the girl out of that woman's grip? Because he had no other choice. Levy needed a home.

"Stop squirming now! Mommy understands how you feel, but..."

"You're not my mommy!" Levy replied defiantly. "You're not my family! Mister is my family!"

Levi clenched his fist. His eyes widened when he heard the sound of a hand slapping across a face and he turned around. Levy held her cheek, kicking Agnes' leg for hitting her before said woman finally had enough, grabbing her and throwing her over her shoulder.

"That's enough now! Mommy is angry!"

"YOU'RE NOT MY MOMMY!" Levy yelled again.

"Now, now! Hold still!"

Levi just stood there, unable to move. He was torn between keeping Levy with him or leaving her with that woman to at least make sure she had a family.

"Mister! Mister!" Levy cried.

Hanji grabbed Levi's shoulders. "Levi, wake up! This is your last chance! Do want to lose Levy? You can still get her back! When Agnes gets into the carriage with her she is gone _forever_! Don't you understand?!"

Levi slapped her hands away. "There is no other way, Hanji! You know that!"

"We _will_ find a away! There _will_ be a way for her to stay with us!" Hanji replied. "We will find a way, Levi, I promise! We don't have too many missions now, the Titans are almost defeated! We can take care of her! You can take care of her! Do you really want to let her go?!"

Levi averted his gaze.

"Levi, you're not the guy who wants or likes children – but you always wished for a family. You always wished for a little sister to take care of. At least that's what you entrusted to me years ago. Do you want to give up that dream?"

"Mister!"

Eren rose to speak. "Sir, allow me to say something... I know it's not my business, but you've been looking so happy ever since Levy's arrival," he said. "You're still the same person as before, but still... something's different. _You_ were different. I didn't feel any fear to talk to you, neither did the others. I've never seen you like that before. And I like Levy, too. We can find a way, sir..."

Levi shook his head angrily and roughly pushed the two of them aside, making his way through the crowd.

"Mister!"

He ignored the little girl's pleas. Until...

"LEVI!"

His eyes widened and he turned around. Levy had called his name. She was reaching out for him, silently begging him to save her. He simply stood there, watching as she was being carried away by that woman named Agnes...

* * *

Levi's sound sleep came to a sudden stop when he heard the shrill sound of his alarm clock. He groaned and turned to his side to silence the damn thing with a strong smack, sending it flying through the room and crashing against the wall before it finally stopped its annoying sound. He sat up and brushed his hand over his face once again. He sat there for a while, unmoving, his gaze resting thoughtfully on his naked feet sticking out from under his covers.

"Again..." he mumbled. "This strange dream... Why do I keep dreaming this over and over again?"

Was this really just a dream?

_**A/N: And that's the question. So Levi returned to his old ways after all... Well, that was the last chapter of Something Buried Deep Inside, Part 1. I hope you enjoyed the story! As always, review, fav and follow, please! I'd like to hear your thoughts. However, it's not over yet! There are more parts to come and this story will soon finish with all the bonus scenes I had intended to put in, but cut out.  
**_

_**And, to your information - I already uploaded the first chapter of Something Buried Deep Inside, Part 2. Check it out if you want to and leave me a review! Let me know how you liked the story, what you liked about the story and write me your thoughts. Also tell me how you liked Levy and if you would like to see her again. This story will have a second part, playing in AU.**_


	6. Bonus Chapter: Deleted Scenes

**Bonus: Deleted Scenes**

_**A/N: Here are the scenes I had originally intended to use as well, but I cut them out. I thought I'd share them with you. Enjoy the bonus material and check out Part 2 if you like! Please follow, fav and review!**_

* * *

**_This scene right here was an original idea which I had cut out before finishing it completely. Originally, Levi was thoroughly pissed about having to take care of Levy and hostile toward her from the very beginning. But I didn't want to keep him that way._**

Levi slammed the door shut after Levy had entered and returned to his office chair, snorting in anger. He payed the little girl no attention until he felt her watching him. "What?" he snapped angrily.

The little girl flinched, but she didn't answer. She gave him a sad look before she dropped her gaze to the carpet. She started shaking as if she was trying to keep herself from crying.

Levi groaned in irritation. "Oh for fuck's sake... What now?" he griped. The fact, that he was only greeted with silence made him even more furious.

In fact, he was pissed. He was a soldier. Humanity's strongest soldier. Not a part-time babysitter. Humanity's fate was resting on his shoulders. They depended on him. He had no time to play babysitter for that little brat. And he had no interest in doing so, either. It was in times like this where he regretted having decided to follow Erwin and his orders.

"For the last time, _what is it_?" he griped.

Only now did he notice how pale the little girl's was. She cramped, clutching at her stomach. Levi's eyes widened when he understood the situation he was in. Before he could react, the inevitable happened: The young girl fell to the ground and threw up. And that was it. Levi's patience had just reached its limit. He strode over to the girl, grabbing her arm. Without thinking, he slapped her across the face, sending her tumbling to the ground again. The little girl cried in pain, holding her sore cheek which was now bright red.

It took a moment for Levi to realize what he had just done. Shocked, he looked at his still raised hand, backing away a few steps. He watched the girl as she sat on the ground, crying quietly.

"I... I'm sorry, kid..." he mumbled sadly, walking over to her. His eyes widened when she backed away. "No, no, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." He squatted down and reached out for her. "Come here."

The little girl hesitated, but she obeyed, rubbing at her cheek.

Levi pulled her hand away and gently brushed his hand over her cheek. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to hurt you..." he replied honestly. "I don't know what came over me..."

The little girl looked down as though she felt bad. "I'm sorry... Mister..." she said through her quiet sobs. "I'm so sorry..."

Levi shook his head. "No, _I am_ sorry. I know it's not your fault."

The girl snuggled up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He tensed at first, but then he accepted it and returned her embrace by gently stroking her head.

"I'm sorry, kid," he said again. "I promise this will never happen again. Let's just try to get along, okay?" He sighed in relief when the little girl nodded against his neck. "Come on. Let's clean this up now." He grabbed the rag from the kitchen, raising his eyebrows in question when Levy tried to take it out of his hand. "It's okay, kid. I'll clean this up. It's okay. Sit down and rest."

And with that, the little girl obeyed and sat down on her chair again while he snatched the mop and cleaned up the mess on his ground.

* * *

**_This scene would have taken place relatively early in the story, but I cut it out before I even started to really think about it, so it's pretty unfinished._**

Levi just had enough of all those people besieging him. With a loud grunt, he raised his hand – and struck out. He felt his hand touching something soft and warm, accompanied by a small scream. His eyes widened as he watched Levy fall to the ground, her cheek bright red. Her head hit the ground hard, causing her to scream in pain once again. He stood there along with all the other people, unmoving, shocked, watching as the little girl stared at him wide-eyed.

He finally snapped out of his daze. "Levy, I'm sorry..." He ran toward the little girl, squatting down beside her. He carefully reached out to gently stroke her head. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to hurt you." His shoulders sagged in relief as the girl leaned into his touch and didn't back away. He watched her with gentle eyes. "I'm sorry..." he uttered again.

The people around them soon started yelling at Levi. "Humanity's strongest soldier has hurt a child!"

"He should be ashamed of himself!"

"Now we see his true colors!"

Levi turned around and gave the people an angry glare, but before he could say something, someone else spoke up for him.

"It was your fault!"

The crowd grew silent, along with Levi.

Levy had stood up and now stared angrily at the people, tears welling up in her eyes. "It was your fault! You weren't nice to Mister! You were mean!" she yelled, causing some people to drop their head down in shame. "You should be nicer to Mister! Mister is a good person! He gave me a new home!"

Levi felt a wave of sympathy overwhelming him. He gently took the girl's hand. "It's okay, kid. It's okay. Let's just go home."

Levy turned around one more time to stick out her tongue to the crowd.

* * *

**_I wasn't sure where to put this scene since it would have had to appear early in the story where Levi is still a bit annoyed around Levy. But considering this scene, making Levi too friendly right from the beginning didn't seem like the right thing to do..._**

The only thing he heard was a small scream coming from behind him as he strided over the courtyard. Confused, Levi turned around to find that Levy had fallen behind. She had obviously tripped over the large stone beside her. She was sitting on the ground, staring at Levi with wide eyes. He didn't understand what was wrong until he saw her grazed hands. Her knees had been spared since they were protected by Eren's shirt. Knowing what would come next, he breathed out a noisy, irritated sigh.

Levy's eyes started to water as her lips began trembling.

"Oh for fuck's sake..." He pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Come on now, we don't have time for this. Put yourself together!" he ordered, but to no avail.

Levi groaned annoyedly, but he quickly caught himself when he noticed how Levy was trying to stand up. She gave him a helpless look, stretching out her thin arms in an attempt to reach out for him. Levi's eyes widened and his face suddenly softened. He walked over to her, meeting her, and squatted down.

"Let me see," he said gently, taking her hands, closely examining them. He looked at her. "It's not as bad as it looks like." His eyes widened once more.

The little girl had a sad look on her face; her mouth was twisted and her eyes started to tear up once again, as if she was going to cry. Finally, the first tears started to stream down her cheeks and she began sobbing quietly.

Much to his own dismay, Levi's heart clenched. Without thinking, he did what first came to his mind. He lifted her hands to his lips and gently kissed at them. He watched as the little girl gave him a surprised look and forgot crying.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked in a soft voice, sighing in relief as the little girl shook her head, though it seemed a bit unsure. His face softened. Gently, he brushed his thumbs over her wet cheeks, cupping her face in his hands. "Good. Then stop crying. I will take a look at that when we get back to the headquarters, okay?" Again, a nod. He stood up, carefully taking Levy's hand. "Just to make sure you don't fall again."

The little girl looked at him for a while before finally a wide smile spread across her face.

* * *

**_This scene would have also taken place a bit earlier in the story, in the part after Levi helps Levy to clean herself up and before they go to bed._**

After Levy was finished in the bathroom, Levi returned to his office, again with the little girl following him. He sat down on his office chair and turned his attention to his paperworks. It was quiet in his office until he suddenly heard a strange sound. He looked up to find Levy covering her mouth with her hands, giving him a helpless look. She shook and the sound was audible again. Levi understood. Levy had the hiccups. It happened again and he had to suppress his urge to chuckle at this almost cute sound. He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw the helpless and startled look in Levy's eyes.

"It doesn't stop, Mister..." she said.

Levi gave her a gentle look. "That's okay," he replied. "It will stop eventually."

However, he was wrong. He hiccups continued for about ten minutes until he had enough. He had to do something about that.

"Come here, kid," he said, watching as she obeyed and walked over to him.

He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up to let her sit on his desk. He scratched the back on his head with a puzzled look on his face as her hiccups kept on pestering her. When he remembered correctly, there were three possibilities of stopping hiccups...

"Try to hold your breath," he said. "But not too long."

The little girl obeyed. Levi's eyes widened when he noticed her head becoming red.

"No, no, stop! That's enough!" he shouted.

But the hiccups still weren't gone. He huffed. Slowly, very slowly, he walked around his desk, making sure that Levy wasn't watching him as he turned he turned his back on her. Then, all of a sudden, he turned around, slamming his hand down hard on his desk with intention to give the little girl a fright. Levy shortly flinched, but her hiccups never stopped. Levi breathed out a noisy, irritated sigh. Then there was only possibility left: He had to make her laugh. But how? How could he make a little girl laugh.

He crossed his arms. He wouldn't play clown for that little brat, that was for sure. Then another idea came to his mind. He watched the little girl shaking from her hiccups and smirked inwardly. She wouldn't like that, but it was the only possibility.

"Raise your hands," he said, feeling a smirk creeping onto his face as the little girl obeyed, stretching out her arms, pointing them high in the air above her head.

She was helpless now. He leaned forward to her, reaching out to touch her flanks. He started moving his fingers, smirking. He would enjoy this. The little girl's lips trembled as she started squirming. She tried to drop her arms, causing Levi to push her down, so she was lying helplessly on the desk. The movements of his fingers became faster and more aggressive and he tickled her relentlessly, foiling her every attempt to escape him and his fingers. He noticed her hiccups still hadn't stopped, so he kept on torturing her. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head, using his free hand to tickle her stomach. Finally, she giggled hysterically and her hiccups had stopped, so he let go of her.

Levi watched the little girl squirm and chuckled. "That was actually fun. I enjoyed it."

The little girl straightened herself up and looked at him.

He gave her a gentle smile which she returned. "See? It stopped."

* * *

**_A slightly extended version of the scene where Levy is afraid of Eren and runs away from him._**

Eren closed the door to his room behind him, walking out with his head down. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that this little girl the Corporal was taking care of had seen his ability to transform into a Titan. She was afraid of him and hid behind the Corporal every time she saw Eren. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard someone walking down the hallway. The footsteps were light and quick, almost as if caused by a very small being, but, nonetheless, he heard them. Suddenly, they stopped. He lifted his head, his eyes widening.

"Hey..." he said. "You okay?"

The little girl was standing in front of him, giving him a frightened look. She jumped in fright and ran in the opposite direction, with Eren following her. She was trapped in the corner now, for there was no door she could open, no room she could slip in.

Eren carefully took a step toward her. "Hey, it's okay. No need to be scared," he said gently, but the girl backed away. His eyes widened when he saw her eyes water. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Don't cry. I'm your friend." He reached out for her, but quickly withdrew his hand when she started sobbing. "No, don't cry! It's okay, it's okay... I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm your friend."

The little girl ran by him, down the hallway. Eren quickly ran after her, but he couldn't catch her.

"No, wait, don't run! I'm not gonna hurt you!" he shouted after her, watching as she opened the door to Levi's office. He followed her inside. "Sir, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare her..."

"It's fine, Eren."

* * *

**_This scene was supposed to take place after Levi protects Levy from Marcus and tells her that he likes her._**

Levi decided to lie down for a bit after he had taken care of Levy. The little girl seemed to be provided and not in need of anything. He returned to his room; of course Levy was following him again. He closed the door behind her and changed his clothes to wear something more comfortable instead of his uniform. He picked his white shirt and a pair of black trousers. Barefoot, he hobbled toward his bed, grabbing the book from his nightstand. He made himself comfortable on his bed when he suddenly felt Levy watching him.

He raised his eyebrows in question. "What's wrong, kid?" he asked. He watched as she walked over to him, pulling at his left bent leg until he stretched it out. "What are you doing?" He understood; she had seen that he'd hurt his foot.

"You are hurt, Mister," she said. "I want to help."

Levi smiled gently. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as you think. I only sprained my ankle a bit. I should be fine again in a few days."

Levy didn't listen. She carefully reached out, gently touching his sore foot. She began to carefully examine it with her small soft hands.

Levi's eyes widened. _Oh no... please don't..._, he begged inwardly. But it was too late. He bit his lip, trying to suppress this feeling inside him. "Levy... stop that..." His lips started trembling and he chuckled. "Levy... stop that, you're tickling me..."

The little girl didn't seem to hear him, but rather kept on stroking his foot.

Finally, he couldn't hold back anymore. He cramped his toes and rolled onto his stomach, laughing loudly as Levy kept massaging his foot. "Levy, please stop! That tickles!" He tried to pull back his foot, but she grabbed onto it.

The little girl showed no mercy. "Please, Mister! Your foot is hurt!" she said almost desperately, giving him a sad and worried look.

Levi's hands cramped and he grabbed the bed sheets tightly, digging his nails into them. He bit his trembling lip once more when Levy's hands moved to the sole of his foot, massaging it. "Levy..." he moaned through gritted teeth in an attempt to suppress his urge to laugh, but he failed. He kept on laughing until he had enough. "Stop tickling me", he suddenly said. It sounded stern and he regretted it as soon as he saw the look on Levy's face.

The little girl got startled and immediately let go of his foot. She gave him a rather sad look. "I'm sorry, Mister... I was a bad girl..." she said somberly. "I just wanted to help... Mommy always did that when I was hurt..." She had a sad look on her face as if she was going to cry.

Before she could, Levi grabbed her and threw himself back on the bed, pulling her with him so she was sitting on his stomach. "It's okay. I'm sorry. I would never admit it openly to anyone, but I'm ticklish – _very_ ticklish," he replied honestly. "It tickled too much," he added, chuckling childishly. He grew silent when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He smirked while guiding his hands underneath her shirt to her flanks. "Let's see how you'll feel."

He started moving his fingers, watching Levy's lips start trembling. She tried to escape, but he turned to his side, throwing her off his stomach and caging her with his arms. The little girl giggled hysterically as Levi tickled her relentlessly.

"I will make you suffer, you cheeky little devil!" He showed no mercy until the little girl struggled and curled up into a ball in attempts to escape his tickling. "You give up?" He smirked when she nodded. "Good. At least I could pay you back," he said, propping himself up on his arm.

Levy watched him suspiciously, nervously backing away when he smirked at her.

He laughed. "Don't worry. No more tickling." He let himself fall on his back, casting the hesitating girl an expectant look. He playfully waved her closer to him with his index finger, patting the free spot beside him. When she hesitated he just grabbed her. "Lie down and relax. I won't tickle you," he said, sighing in approval as the girl finally snuggled up to him.

He smiled and closed his eyes for a bit.

* * *

**_This scene was supposed to happen when Levy is sick and Levi takes care of her._**

"It hurts, Mister..." Levy said weakly. "It hurts..."

Levi gave her a worried look and moved closer to her. "Where does it hurt?"

The little girl pointed to her belly.

He let his hands wander underneath her shirt to examine her stomach. He gently stroked at it. "Does it hurt there?" he asked gently, watching the girl nod. He kept rubbing at her stomach when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He smirked and started to slowly, very slowly move his fingers, trailing his fingernails over the soft skin of her stomach. "Does it hurt now?"

The little girl started squirming, pressing her trembling lips together in an attempt to suppress her chuckles. The movements of his fingers became faster and more aggressive, causing the girl to break down into laughter as Levi tickled her relentlessly and without mercy.

He let go of her after a short while. "Okay, I think that's enough to make you laugh," he said, gently brushing her hair out of her face.

The girl still giggled. She had her arms wrapped around her stomach as if afraid that he would tickle her again.

"No, don't fear. I'll leave you alone." He smiled warmly, covering her with the blanket. "Does it still hurt?" he asked with a serious expression.

To his relief, Levy shook her head and smiled.

"Good," he said. "And now try to rest. I'll bring you something to eat later."

Levy nodded.

"Good girl," he replied. He bent down and gently kissed her forehead before he returned to his office.

* * *

**_This scene was originally placed in the part where Levy gives the diary to Levi and before the two of them go to bed._**

They sat in silence for a while until the little girl and the man with the raven-black hair let go of each other. They looked at each other, eyes filled with mutual happiness.

Levi sat back on his office chair. "I need to finish my reports, then we can spend some time together if you like," he said with his most gentle smile.

Levy nodded happily, but she never left his side. Instead, she watched him over the rim of his desk. Levi couldn't concentrate on this. She was just too cute to not look at. These reports could wait until next week. He put the papers aside and leaned back in his chair, smiling as Levy gave him a puzzled look. Levi grabbed her by the waist, gently settled her on his lap. This was actually the first time he really felt like doing that.

He noticed how tense the little girl sat on his lap, not moving a single muscle. He smirked and started tickling her flanks. She squirmed in his lap, but he wouldn't allow her to escape. He kept tickling her, wrapping an arm around her to prevent her from escaping and using his free hand to tickle-torture the little girl until she giggled hysterically.

Eventually, she managed to escape his grip, slipping through his arms and ran around the office until she stopped and hid behind the chair she always sat on, still giggling.

Levi understood; she wanted to play. He stood up, taking one step forward, watching as she backed away, giggling. "You can't get away from me. Give it up," he said with a smirk. Suddenly, he jumped forward, grabbing the laughing little girl. He carried her over to the couch and put her down, continuing to tickle her until he finally showed mercy upon seeing the tears from her laughter.

Levy gave him a startled look and scurried away from him, hiding behind the chair again.

He laughed. "It's okay, Levy. I won't tickle you. Come here." He watched the suspicous look in her eyes. "I won't tickle you," he repeated with a gentle smile. "I promise." He lay down on the couch.

Finally, she came closer again, snuggling up to him. He wrapped his arm around her, gently kissing her forehead.

"It's getting late. Are you sleepy?" he asked gently.

Levy yawned and rubbed her eyes with her adorable, small hands.

Levi smiled and stood up, scooping up the little girl and carrying her to his room.

_**A/N: And that's finally it! That was Something Buried Deep Inside, Part 1! I hope you enjoyed the story. Please follow, fav and review and check out Part 2! It looks like there will be more parts of this story, so stay tuned! Thank you so much for supporting and following this story! *hugs* Check out my other stories if you like! :)**_


	7. Bonus Chapter: Levi's Christmas Birthday

**Bonus Chapter: Merry Happy Christmas Birthday**

_**A/N: So since it's Levi's birthday AND Christmas at the same time I decided to make this short spin-off bonus chapter. Please note that this is NOT the canon ending for my story and serves as an alternate/non-canon ending to the original story of mine. Enjoy!**_

A pair of dark grey eyes stared at the world spreading in front of the office window. It was the middle of the day. And yet everything seemed so dark. Grey. Cold. Of course. What else? It was winter. So what did people expect? But was it really just...the winter? Or was there something else bothering the man whom those very same eyes belonged to?

Winter had always been the same to the short raven. Dark. Grey. And cold. But this year...it was even colder than ever before. This year, everything was different. This time, even winter itself felt even colder than ever before. And it wasn't the fact that it was snowing this year again.

About two months had passed since the incident with the little girl Levy. She was now with that woman, Agnes, whom the Lance Corporal hoped would take good care of her. He had his doubts, though. After seeing the woman slap the girl on their very first meeting, a wave of anger and regret had risen up inside him and he had considered taking the girl back, but he'd refrained himself. He had decided it was better to let her go.

A decision he regretted more than anything else. One of the few times he _truly_ regretted something ever since had had entered the Survey Corps.

But what choice did he actually have? He was a soldier. He wouldn't have been able to be there for her all the time and properly care for her. To give her the attention and affection she deserved.

He frowned almost sadly. Yes. He missed her. Very deeply. He would have never admitted it openly, but he was sure everyone around him could sense it. After she had left, he had gone back to his hard shell, not showing any feelings anymore. When she had left, she had taken a part of him with her. The only one he had opened up to was Eren; the Titan boy he had decided to take under his wing and the very same boy that became the little girl's best friend.

Levy... The girl who had had given him so much warmth, so much comfort like no one ever before. He felt a sting in his heart everytime he thought of her, felt this emptiness she left inside him. If he hadn't considered himself a bad parent and had been a civilian, he would have never let go of her for sure. If things weren't the way they were, he would have been there to protect her from all the dangers in this world.

Ever since he'd found out what had happened to this sweet and gentle five-year-old girl, he had felt this need to protect her. To fix everything inside her that had been broken by inconsiderate people like her monster of an uncle. To take away all her fear, just make her pain go away. Just like she had done for him. He had been willing to offer her the world if it hadn't been so damn dangerous.

His gaze shifted to the calendar on his wall. It was the twenty-fourth of December and he was in an even sourer mood than ever before. He felt bad for bossing everyone around for once, but he knew they understood what was going on. Christmas was coming as well as his birthday.

And he fucking hated it.

* * *

"The Captain is in an even worse mood now..." A certain brunet's teal gaze was dropped to the ground as he sat in the office with a certain bespectacled woman who just hummed and nodded. "It's not surprising, I guess... Tomorrow's his birthday and Christmas – the day he hates the most..." Eren mumbled sadly.

"And don't forget the fact that he just lost a person very dear to him," Hanji replied, her chin resting thoughtfully on her folded hands. She seemed calm, but one could see the lines sadness had drawn on her face as well.

If even possible, Eren's face fell even more. "Mhm..." was his only reply. He knew very well how the Captain felt. Levi wasn't the only one who had frown very fond of the girl. Eren had become her friend as well. Hearing Levy's story, Eren had wanted to protect this little girl as well.

Hanji sat in thoughtful silence for a while before she finally sighed and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Say Eren..." she began, causing the brunet to curiously look up at her. She rested her gaze on the boy. "How about we get a present for Levi?"

Eren's eyes widened and a spark of hope lit up in them before it quickly dissipated again. He shook his head. "He wouldn't want that. Besides, after the last Christmas slash birthday presentI can't blame him for not accepting any gifts from you... Eheh..." The brunet sweatdropped, causing Hanji to chuckle.

"Oh no, I mean a real present. Like a nice one for a chance." She held up her hands. "No troling this year. I mean it." She giggled a bit, but the smile on her face was warm and honest. For once, there was no mischievous glisten in her eyes and one who knew her could tell that deep inside she felt the same sadness as Eren and Levi did.

Eren's eyes sparkled. "Really? Yeah, sure! I'm in! But...what are we going to get for him?" He made a thoughtful face.

"To be honest, I already had something small in mind there~" There it was, the mischievous grin.

Eren gave her a shocked expression. "H-Hanji? What are you planning?" he asked warily.

The brunette laughed. "Ah, sorry, sorry! Don't worry, he'll like it~" She motioned for Eren to move closer and started whispering something in his ear.

The boy's shocked expression changed into one of surprise and hope at the same time. His eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"

"Eren..." the woman sighed. "Eren, Eren, Eren, do I look like someone who jokes about such things? I am one to keep my word once I gave a promise." She adjusted her glasses. "Besides, I am not having that shorty's foul mood any longer." She cackled.

It took Eren a while to process the suggestion Hanji had made. "And you really think it will work?" There was a sad, but hopeful shimmer in his seagreen eyes. "I mean, we only have today to set things right..."

"Of course it will work! Now let's go! It's our week off, after all!" She stood up and dragged a dazed Eren with her.

* * *

Levi heard the knock on his door, but didn't look up from his paperwork. "Come in," he simply said.

The door opened. He didn't have to look up to know it was Eren. He recognized him from his quiet and steady footsteps. The boy put some papers on his desk.

"U-Um... Hanji asked me to give them to you..." he mumbled quietly.

Levi didn't look up. Instead, he gave the boy a quiet approving hum. However, didn't seem to be wanting to leave as he didn't move an inch from his spot. Instead, he was bearing an uncomfortable expression as if wanting to say something. But he kept quiet. This irritated Levi somehow.

"Tch... What is it, Eren?" he muttered sternly.

He inwardly scolded himself as the boy flinched. "U-Um... Well... I was wondering, sir... Are you going to celebrate your birthday or Christmas this year?" Eren asked shyly.

Levi's eyes widened at his question. "Tch, you have some nerve, brat." He closely studied the look on Eren's face. He didn't budge. He meant his question. Levi sighed. "No, I am not. This year won't be any different," he said. His gaze softened a bit when he noticed the look on Eren's face. He looked sad.

"I just thought...maybe... Uh, nevermind... Thanks, Captain..." Eren gave his superior a salute, but froze when he noticed how Levi stood up and walked over to him.

Levi stopped directly in front of the boy, staring him dead in the eyes.

This obviously made Eren a bit nervous, but he didn't back away.

Slowly, the raven reached out and placed a hand on the taller boy's shoulder, sighing in relief as said boy didn't even flinch. "I know what's going on in your mind, Eren. I miss her too." He sighed sadly. "I will be honest... If she had been here, I'd maybe have done something for Christmas..." He dropped his head so his bangs were covering his shadowed eyes as he walked out.

He did not see the brunet's eyes widen at his superior's honest words. The boy was left standing in bewilderment. His eyes shimmered as tears welled up in them, but he wiped them before they could drop. A determined smile spread across his face as he ran out toward Hanji's office. He hoped that Hanji knew what she was doing and that it would work.

* * *

It had become quiet in the headquarters. Of course. Their week off. Everyone was roaming freely, doing stuff they couldn't do while in duty or visiting their families. Well... If they still had one, that is.

Levi sighed as he lay on his bed with the book in his hands. It was already dark outside. He would go to sleep soon. He felt drained. Funny. He hadn't even done anything special today. In fact, he had been lazy, even procrastinating his reports. But for once, he didn't care. He stared out the window.

He wondered. He remembered the time when Levy was still with him. They used to go to sleep together at this time. She'd sleep on his stomach and he would have his arms protectively wrapped around her. He could still feel her presence. And sometimes, he caught himself looking around for her. A sad smile formed on his lips. All this...seemed so far away now.

He took a look at his clock. He somehow dreaded to wake up tomorrow. In fact, he feared tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day he hated the most. He remembered how Levy had asked him for his birthday. She had wanted to give him a present.

But Levy wasn't here anymore. In fact, he'd known that she would have never been able to give him a present and he hadn't told her.

His eyes shimmered. He had been such an idiot. But he should have known. It had always been the same. Once he got close to someone, he just lost them.

With a loud sigh, he put the book away, turned off the lights and hid under his blanket.

* * *

"What's that supposed to mean, your landlady is not here?!" Hanji shrieked.

The woman gave her and Eren and apologetic look. "I truly am sorry, but I don't know where she went or when she will come back."

Eren gently held back an angry Hanji. "Please, this is important. Don't you have at least a small clue for us?"

The young female was about to speak up again when suddenly, someone came walking downstairs. Eren's eyes widened along with the young woman's.

"Miss Agnes?!"

He remembered this woman. It was the very same woman that took Levy under her wing. She looked a bit different now, not as dolled-up as she had been back then. He narrowed his eyes. He disliked this woman for taking Levy away from Levi. And moreover, for slapping Levy back then. However, he also felt a warm spark of hope light up in him.

"Well, isn't this just perfect! Now we don't even have to search for you," Hanji cooed. She clapped her hands together, rubbing her palms with a creepy grin.

Agnes huffed and crossed her arms, giving Eren and Hanji a condescending look. Of course. A woman of wealth like her did normally not talk to simple people like him or Hanji. He had a hard time holding back his anger and was glad that Hanji spoke up instead.

"Not the talkative type anymore, huh?" Hanji pushed her glasses up her nose. "On the other hand, we didn't come here for chit-chat." She put her hands on her hips. "I figure that you know why we are here."

The wealthy woman snorted. "If it's about the little brat, she's not here anymore."

"Eh?" Hanji was caught off-guard.

"Am I speaking another language? She. Is not. Here. Get it now?" the blonde griped.

Eren's eyes flashed with anger, but he didn't say anything.

Hanji's face had just changed into a stoned, dark expression. "I see." Her voice was calm, but one who knew her well knew that she was only holding back her anger. All of a sudden, a creepy grin spread across her face as she walked up to the woman, causing her to back away. "How about we have a little chat?"

A few minutes later, Hanji was interrogating a tied-up Agnes. "This is the last time I'm asking, where is the girl?"

Agnes was more pissed than scared. "You will suffer the consequences for this." She huffed angrily. "The thingy ran away this morning. She was so clumsy, broke my favorite teacup, so I slapped her across the face. After that she started crying, said she hated me and ran off. She's probably frozen to death by now."

The sound of a hand slapping across a cheek was heard. An angry Eren stood in front of Agnes with his hand still raised, his eyes glaring at her. Hanji showed no reaction to this. Eren however, was burning with wrath.

"You...treat her just like her family did. You are just a monster like her uncle was," he said quietly, inwardly praising himself for sounding so calm. "If something happened to her, you will regret it." Tears welled up in his eyes as he turned around. "Let's go, Hanji. We gotta find her."

After leaving the building, the mounted their horses and rid off as fast as they could.

* * *

Levi woke up at the feeling of warmth on his face. He opened his eyes, blinking them sleepily at the brightness. He sat up and rubbed them. When he looked up again, the very same eyes quickly forgot about their tiredness as they widened in surprise.

The sun was shining brightly, its golden rays piercing through the dark of his room.

He stood up to walk over to his window, opening the curtains. He stared in awe. There was snow, yes. But the sky wasn't grey. It was blue. He couldn't help but drop his jaw at the stunning beauty of the winter sun. In all his years, had not a single winter day been as bright and beautiful as today. No dark clouds in sight.

He wondered what that meant. He had heard from superstitious people that things like that might be a good omen. Not that he believed in such things.

He was so dazed that he would have almost forgotten what day today was, had there not been the annoying shouting of a certain bespectacled woman. "LEEEEEVIIIII~!"

Levi groaned and quickly got dressed, wondering what that crazy woman was up to this time. With an irritated sigh, he walked out. He barely dodged Hanji's tackle, causing her to slam into his door with her head first. He exhaled sharply before grabbing her by her collar, pulling her up.

"What are you doing, shit-glasses?" he grumbled.

"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed. "Oh, and Merry Christmas!"

"Tch. Didn't I tell you that I do not celebrate either of them?"

Hanji ignored this statement of his. "Would you come along for a moment, my dear shorty?" She didn't even wait for his reply as she stepped up behind him and covered his eyes.

"Who are you calling shorty shi– Oi! What are you doing?!" Levi shouted as he got dragged along.

"Oh, will you stop struggling and just come along, it's gonna be fun! I have a little surprise for you."

The short raven grumbled dangerously. "I'm warning you, if it's a prank again...!"

"Oh no, no, not this time." Hanji chuckled a bit as her overly cheery behavior calmed down a bit. "This time, I'm sure you will like it."

Levi huffed, but the gentle tone in Hanji's voice told him that she was actually not joking. So he decided to listen. Just this once. He was being led somewhere, taking a few turns here and there. He was getting impatient.

"Where even are we going? You want to march straight to Wall Sina or what?" he deadpanned.

Hanji laughed. "Oh no, that's meant for some other time," she joked back. "Ah, here we are! Outside." She stopped, but did not remove her hands from his face. "Close your eyes. No peeking."

He grumbled, but did as told. He finally felt Hanji remove her hands from his eyes and heard her walking off a bit.

"Okay, now you can open them."

Levi opened his eyes as told. But all he saw was a rather awkward Eren standing in front of him. He blinked. "Eren?"

"U-Um..." The boy blushed. "Excuse me, but... Happy birthday, sir..."

"Don't worry, dear, Eren's not your surprise." All of a sudden, a warm smile spread across Hanji's face as she nodded to Eren.

Eren returned the smile, nodding back. "I don't know how to explain, but..." He sighed. "Hanji and me decided to get you a small present nonetheless."

Levi rolled his eyes. "I told you guys that I'm not–"

Hanji brushed him off. "Yeah yeah, we know. But trust me, _this_ present you will like."

Eren smiled and moved a bit.

That was when Levi noticed it. There was someone behind Eren. He leaned to the side a bit to look more closely.

"Happy birthday, sir," Eren said as he stepped aside.

For a moment, there was only silence. His eyes widened at the sight before him. He wondered what this weird feeling was that he felt inside. The feeling that now warmed his heart. Was it relief? Was it happiness? Confusion? Maybe it was all together. He had never even dreamed that this moment would ever come again.

"Le... L-Levy..." he stammered, his eyes shimmering.

The little girl was standing in front of him. She was wearing a dress similar to that she had worn the day he had found her, only this time, she was dressed suited for the cold weather. A smile spread across her face as tears of joy welled up in her big brown eyes – the eyes he knew so well.

He fell on his knees. "Levy..."

The little girl couldn't wait anymore. She looked at Eren who gave her a warm smile and a nod before she ran to Levi. "Mister Levi!" she called, crying as she jumped in Levi's arms. She laughed happily as he gently caught her, her tears filling her voice.

Levi couldn't speak for a little while. "Hanji... Is that...?"

"Yes. It's true. We found her thanks to Eren's sense of direction." Hanji patted Eren's shoulder, smiling at the boy like a proud mother.

Levi stared at Eren. "Eren..."

Said brunet shyly scratched the back of his head. "Eheh, well..."

Levi shifted his gaze back to the crying girl in his arms. "Levy..." Finally, he realized that this wasn't a dream. This was reality. His eyes shimmered. "Levy... Levy!" He pulled the girl as close to him as possible and laughed, but his voice broke off a bit as he felt tears stinging in his eyes.

"Mister Levi! Mister Levi, Mister Levi..." she sobbed. "Mister Levi... I'm sorry... I don't have a birthday Christmas present for you...!"

Levi gaped at her for a moment before smiling warmly as he reached up to gently wipe a tear off her cheek. He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I don't need a present, Levy. Being able to hold you in my arms is the best present one could have ever given me," he said honestly as he held her close to him, stroking her hair.

The little girl cried in relief and calmed down after a short while. "Merrry happy Christmas birthday, Mister..." she said happily as she had her arms wrapped around his neck.

Levi gently picked her up in his arms as she still cried a bit. He would protect her. From all the pain in this world. Never ever would anyone hurt her. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care how hard it would be in the future. He would survive. For her. He would return from every mission alive. For her. He would fight for and lead humanity to freedom. For her. He wanted her to be able to live in a world without Titans.

He gently carried her inside, swearing to never ever let this little girl go again.

_**A/N: And that was it. I'm a bit sad that this story is over now, but all good things come to an end. I do apologize if it seemed rushed, but I hope you don't bother about that too much. Anyways, thanks to everyone who supported this story and please make sure to keep an eye on the SBDI series. Please follow, fac and review. Thank you, everyone.**_


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